Seoul Marathon

Incheon is consistently rated the world's best airport. The AREX (Airport Railroad Express) runs two services: the direct train to Seoul Station (43 min, ₩9,000) and the all-stop service (60–66 min, ₩4,850). From Seoul Station, connect to Line 1 or 4 for Myeongdong or Gangnam. A T-money transit card, available at convenience stores inside the airport, works on all trains and buses.

💡 Buy a T-money card at the 7-Eleven inside arrivals (₩3,000 card + load ₩20,000) — it also works at convenience stores and cafés across the city.

Myeongdong is central, well-served by Lines 4, and close to Gwanghwamun (race start) and COEX (Expo). Gangnam is more modern, steps from COEX, and closer to the Jamsil finish area. Both offer dense restaurants, pharmacies, and convenience stores.

💡 Book a hotel with a 24-hour convenience store or GS25 nearby — essential for pre-race morning snacks.

MANDATORY bib and timing chip collection — no same-day race-morning pickup. COEX is in Gangnam, easily reached from Myeongdong by subway Line 2 to Samseong station. Bring your registration confirmation (printed or digital) and your passport. Collect bib, timing chip, official runner's bag, and race T-shirt. The COEX Expo is large and well-organised with Korean running brands, nutrition vendors, and official merchandise including some of the best race goods in Asia.

💡 COEX connects to the Starfield COEX Mall underground — avoid the temptation of hours of shopping today. Collect your bib and go rest.

The course passes through Yeouido's Han River parks around km 15–20. Take a 20-minute taxi to Yeouido Hangang Park for a brief preview walk along the river. The cherry blossoms often begin in mid-March — the course is breathtaking in bloom. Keep the walk under 2 km.

💡 The Han River parks have convenience kiosks stocked with sports drinks and snacks — useful for a quick carb/electrolyte top-up.

Bibimbap — rice mixed with vegetables, egg, and a little gochujang (go easy on the spice) — is outstanding pre-race fuel: high-carb, moderate protein, familiar ingredients. For a warmer option, sundubu-jjigae (soft tofu stew with rice) is equally good. Jungsik or Myeongdong Kyoja in Myeongdong are accessible and reliable. Order an extra bowl of rice (gonggi-bap).

💡 Ask for the gochujang on the side for bibimbap — you control the spice. A little is fine; a lot is not advisable the night before a race.

Wake by 05:30. Eat by 06:00: plain white rice with a fried egg or scrambled eggs, a banana, and sports drink. Convenience stores near any Seoul hotel will have triangle kimbap, boiled eggs, and Pocari Sweat — all ideal. Avoid kimchi this morning (fermented foods can cause GI issues mid-race). Drink 500ml of water in the 2 hours before start.

💡 GS25 and CU convenience stores are open 24 hours and stock all pre-race essentials. Load up the night before to avoid a morning queue.

The race starts at Gwanghwamun Square (Sejong-daero) beneath the gate and the statue of Admiral Yi Sun-sin. Bag drop trucks are on the north side of the plaza — closes at 08:30. Corrals are seeded by expected finish time (elite → general). Enter your corral by 08:45. Take the subway to Gwanghwamun station (Line 5) or City Hall (Lines 1/2). Do NOT attempt to drive — the entire central corridor is closed.

💡 The start area at Gwanghwamun is one of the most beautiful in world marathoning — the Gyeongbokgung Palace mountains behind you, the gate ahead. Arrive 20 min early to take it in.

Course heads south from Gwanghwamun down Sejong-daero, south-west to Yeouido (km 10–20) along Han River, crosses the river at Mapo Bridge, east through Yongsan and Itaewon, south along the Han River eastern bank, north through Jamsil lakepark, and finishes at Seoul Olympic Stadium (Olympic 88 Games venue). The course is largely flat with one notable bridge undulation (Mapo Bridge). March temperatures average 4–12°C at start, 10–16°C by midday. Water stations every 2.5 km; isotonic drink and gels at km 15, 25, and 35.

💡 The Yeouido Han River section (km 15–22) is beautiful but exposed — any headwind here can be draining. Tuck in behind other runners if it's breezy.

Collect your finisher's medal (traditionally a large, impressive piece), space blanket, and recovery food bag. Bag trucks park on the east side of the stadium. Official photographer stations are set up around the Olympic torch monument for excellent post-race photos. The Olympic Stadium is a stirring venue — a genuine bit of sporting history.

💡 Mobile phone battery may be low by race end — pack a small power bank in your drop bag for the finishing photo and ride home.

Korean BBQ (samgyeopsal — pork belly, or galbi — beef short ribs) is an ideal post-race meal: lean protein, rice, banchan (small side dishes), and hot broth. The seated, communal eating also forces you to slow down and rest. Mapo-gu's grilled pork alley is a local institution. Myeongdong has more tourist-accessible but equally good options.

💡 Order doenjang-jjigae (fermented soybean stew) alongside the BBQ — it is warm, salty, and excellent for post-race sodium replenishment.

One of Seoul's most photogenic areas — a hillside neighbourhood of traditional hanok wooden houses between Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung palaces. Walk slowly up the gentle lanes (compression socks essential — some hills here), photograph the tile rooftops and stone walls, and take 30 minutes to simply sit at the main viewpoint. Total walking distance: 2–3 km over 90 minutes.

💡 Arrive before 09:00 — Bukchon becomes very crowded by 10:00. The quiet morning version is far superior.

A 5-minute walk from Bukchon, the palace grounds offer flat, wide stone paths suitable for post-race legs. The changing of the guard ceremony (매시 정각) happens on the hour at the Gwanghwamun Gate — worth watching if your timing aligns. Entry is ₩3,000.

💡 You were at the race start line 200m from here yesterday — a full-circle moment worth appreciating.

Myeongdong's pedestrian street is one of Korea's most concentrated food and K-beauty retail zones. Egg bread (gyeran-ppang), tteokbokki rice cakes, and hotteok sweet pancakes make excellent post-race recovery snacks while browsing COSRX, Innisfree, or Etude House for K-skincare gifts. Light on the feet, heavy on the senses.

💡 K-beauty products are significantly cheaper in Myeongdong than at duty-free or international stockists. Tax refund available at most stores for purchases over ₩30,000.

Take the AREX direct train from Seoul Station to Incheon — 43 minutes, ₩9,000. Many airlines offer City Check-in at Seoul Station (Korean Air, Asiana, Jeju Air) — check your airline in advance. This allows you to drop bags at Seoul Station and travel to the airport unburdened.

💡 City Check-in at Seoul Station closes 3 hours before flight departure. Worth using if your airline participates — saves significant effort post-race.

Incheon Terminal 1 and 2 both have excellent airside dining: Bibigo (official Korean food brand), Kyochon Fried Chicken, and Hyundai Department Store food court post-security. Order samgye-tang (ginseng chicken soup) — a traditional Korean recovery dish eaten after exertion. Perfect final meal.