Korean broadcaster MBC is said to be planning a special Chuseok (mid-Autumn festival) edition of the Idol Star Athletics Championship (IAC) which is to be filmed on August 10 & 11.
Typically involving around 200 idols, the once-annual event is favoured by lesser known idols as a platform for them to shine despite its grueling schedules. A typical shoot can last for over ten hours, with actual camera time for individual artistes extremely limited due to the sheer number of people involved.
Additionally, celebrities who go on the show are injury-prone, with EXO’s Tao and GOT7’s Jackson notably sustaining ankle injuries while filming the most recent edition, which took place in February. SISTAR’s Bora once had to be helped up as she was unable to stand up on her own after falling and hitting her head during a track event.
While the final number of categories for the upcoming IAC – including archery, basketball and futsal – have yet to be determined, the track and field events will remain as permanent fixtures of the show. Casting for competitors for this edition of the programme is also slated to commence in the near future.