About the race
The Seoul International Marathon, also known as the Dong-A Ilbo Seoul Marathon, is an annual road race hosted by the newspaper The Dong-A Ilbo. It holds World Athletics Platinum Label status and draws around 35,000 people across the day's races.
History
The race traces back to 1931 and the Youngdungpo Marathon, a looped course of roughly 23.3 km rather than a true marathon. That makes it the third longest-running road race in Asia, after two Japanese events. The newspaper's coverage of Sohn Kee-chung's 1936 Olympic victory led to the race being suspended in 1937. It returned in 1938 and was stopped again by war until 1954. The first official full-length marathon came in 1964, and women were allowed to run the full distance from 1982. It was held in Chuncheon in 1992 and in Gyeongju from 1993 to 1999, then returned to Seoul in 2000.
The course
The point-to-point route starts at Gwanghwamun Plaza in the city centre and ends at the Olympic Stadium. It runs onto the Sejongno thoroughfare and passes the statue of Yi Sun-sin, then goes by the Namdaemun gateway and through Cheonggyecheon park. It continues through the Dongdaemun-gu district before crossing the Han River towards the stadium. The route heads south-east across the city.
Dates and distances
The marathon is held in mid-March. A second marathon, the JoongAng Seoul Marathon, takes place in the city in November and is a different event.
Cut-offs and entry
Check seoul-marathon.com for time limits, entry windows, fees and current rules.
Where to watch
The start at Gwanghwamun Plaza and the finish at the Olympic Stadium are the two fixed points that the sources name. Cheonggyecheon park and the Han River crossing are also named on the route.
Weather
Seoul has cold, dry winters and hot, humid summers, so a mid-March race sits between the two seasons. This is general climate background, not a forecast.
SourcesSeoul Marathon site (access restricted when opened) · Wikipedia: Seoul International Marathon · Wikipedia: Seoul (climate)