S1·E518 Brahms Music School Race: Do You Like Number 1?

Episode recap

The episode opens with the regular cast of Running Man joined by four actors from the contemporary drama “Do You Like Brahms?”—Kim Sung Cheol, Kim Min Jae, Park Eun Bin and Park Ji Hyun. The premise of the installment is built around a school‑style competition that divides all participants into distinct grades. The grading is determined by a series of preliminary tests and games, each designed to assess speed, accuracy and teamwork. Once the grades are assigned, the core challenge of the episode begins: a race in which a participant may only eliminate opponents who occupy the same grade or a lower one. This rule forces the higher‑ranked players to focus on protecting their status while the lower‑ranked contestants must devise strategies to survive against those above them.

Throughout the segment, the members and their drama‑guest counterparts engage in a mixture of physical and mental tasks that serve both to reinforce the grade hierarchy and to create opportunities for alliances and rivalries. The competitive atmosphere is heightened by the knowledge that any misstep could result in an immediate loss, as elimination is limited to those of equal or lesser standing. The episode’s pacing follows the typical Running Man structure, moving from the initial assessment phase to the high‑stakes race where the stakes are clear: only one participant will remain at the end.

As the race progresses, the contestants navigate the constraints of the grading system, attempting to outmaneuver opponents while adhering to the rule that prevents them from targeting higher‑grade players. The tension builds as the field narrows, and each elimination brings the remaining competitors closer to the final showdown. The episode concludes with the reveal of the sole survivor, leaving viewers to see which combination of skill, strategy and perhaps a bit of luck allowed that individual to outlast all others under the unique “same‑or‑lower‑grade” elimination rule.