The year he turned 20, he ran his first full marathon at the National Sports Festival and finished second in 2:19:15, and he joined the Seoul City Hall team that year. At the end of 1991, he joined Kolon at the urging of coach Jung Bong-soo. In January 1992, he set a Korean best of 1:01:04 at the Tokyo International Half Marathon.
In 1993, he won the marathon at the National Sports Festival in Gwangju, and in December he won the Honolulu Marathon, making his name internationally for the first time. In 1994, he ran 2:09:59 at the Boston Marathon, breaking the 2:10 barrier. In March 1995, he won the Dong-A International Marathon by five seconds.
The breakthrough yearThe year he turned 26, in August, he won silver in the Atlanta Olympic marathon in 2:12:39, three seconds behind Josia Thugwane. Seoul Economic Daily wrote that the silver made him a national star overnight. That March, he had lost the Dong-A Marathon by one second, and in December he won the Fukuoka International Marathon by two seconds.
In 1997, he rested for seven months with a knee injury and returned in the 10,000 m at the National Sports Festival. In April 1998, he set a Korean best of 2:07:44 at the Rotterdam Marathon, and in December he won gold at the Bangkok Asian Games. In 1999, he finished only 12th at the London Marathon.
In February 2000, he ran 2:07:20 at the Tokyo Marathon. It is a Korean best that has still not been broken. In 2001, he won the 105th Boston Marathon, the third Korean winner after Suh Yun-bok and Ham Kee-yong. In April 2002, he got married, and in October he won a second straight Asian Games title in Busan.
In 2003, a son was born, and he finished seventh at the London Marathon. In 2004, he was 14th at the Athens Olympics. In 2005, he recorded his 33rd finish at the Berlin Marathon. In 2007, he won the Seoul International Marathon with a late surge.
In 2008, he finished 28th at his fourth Olympics, in Beijing. In March 2009, he recorded his 40th finish at the Seoul International Marathon, and in October he retired after winning the National Sports Festival. He finished 41 marathons in all. In 2013, he became publicity director of the Korea Association of Athletics Federations.
From January 2020, he suffered from pain of unknown cause, and the next year he was diagnosed with dystonia. In June 2021, he had surgery to remove a spinal arachnoid cyst. In 2022, a marathon named after him was held for the first time in his hometown, Cheonan. In July 2026, he finished the half marathon at the Gold Coast Marathon in 1:39:55.
Lee Bong-ju (born Oct 11, 1970) debuted in the marathon at the National Sports Festival on Oct 19, 1990, the year he turned 20, and became known on Aug 4, 1996, the year he turned 26, when he won silver at the Atlanta Olympics. He set his Korean best of 2:07:20 in 2000, the year he turned 30.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.