Entry through the organiser
Entry details on the organiser’s site →
The organiser, a third party. We take no entries and have no part in the race.
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JoongAng Seoul Marathon
At a glance
- Race day
- The 2026 race
- Distance
- 42.2 km26.2 mi
- Marathon · 10K
- Entry fee
- US$150
- For the 2026 race
- Time limit
- 5 hours
The course
The 2026 marathon starts at Gwanghwamun Square and finishes at Olympic Park, so start and finish are in different places.
- From Gwanghwamun Square to Olympic ParkStart at Gwanghwamun Square, finish at Olympic Park.
- Expo at SETEC, bags by truck to the finishExpo at SETEC 29-31 October; bag drop 06:00-07:00, bags trucked to the finish.
- Water every 5 km, a five-hour finishWater every 5 km, sports drink from 15 km, five hours to finish.
Course notes 3 short reads on the course
Whole courseGeometryFrom Gwanghwamun Square to Olympic ParkStart at Gwanghwamun Square, finish at Olympic Park.
The organiser gives Gwanghwamun Square as the marathon’s start and gathering place, with Gwanghwamun Station (Line 5, exit 7) as the nearest subway stop, and Olympic Park as the finish. Its race information stresses that the start and finish locations are different and that runners and spectators may have different routes at the finish.
The 10K has its own start at Sangam World Cup Park and finishes at Yeouido Park.
Sourced
Whole courseConditionsExpo at SETEC, bags by truck to the finishExpo at SETEC 29-31 October; bag drop 06:00-07:00, bags trucked to the finish.
The 2026 expo and race pack collection run at SETEC in Gangnam-gu on Thursday 29 and Friday 30 October from 12:00 to 20:00, and on Saturday 31 October from 10:00 (collection until 23:00). A runner shows the QR code, and one person may collect for several runners who all have theirs.
On race morning the marathon bag drop is near Gwanghwamun Square from 06:00 to 07:00 (the organiser suggests 06:30), only in the official bag, and pick-up is at the finish in Olympic Park.
Sourced
Whole courseConditionsWater every 5 km, a five-hour finishWater every 5 km, sports drink from 15 km, five hours to finish.
Water stations stand every 5 km and sports drink every 5 km from 15 km, with sponge stations every 5 km from 7.5 km. Snacks are at 20, 25 and 30 km. Runners who cannot continue board a shuttle bus, remove the chip from the bib and ride to the finish area.
The marathon entry is for runners aged 18 and over who can complete the distance within 5 hours.
Sourced
Race weekend
Expo and bib pickup at SETEC, Gangnam-guThursday 29 October Expo
-
12:0012:00 PM–20:008:00 PM
Korea Running Expo and race pack collection SETEC, Gangnam-gu. Race packs are collected at SETEC with the QR code; collecting for several runners is allowed if you hold all their QR codes.
Friday 30 October Expo
-
12:0012:00 PM–20:008:00 PM
Korea Running Expo and race pack collection SETEC, Gangnam-gu. Same hours for the expo and for race pack collection.
Saturday 31 October Bib pickup
-
10:0010:00 AM–20:008:00 PM
Korea Running Expo SETEC, Gangnam-gu. Race pack collection runs later, until 23:00. -
10:0010:00 AM–23:0011:00 PM
Race pack collection SETEC, Gangnam-gu
Bib in hand?A number belt holds it without pins through your race top. Clip it on tonight.
Number belt on AmazonAmazon partner link
Sunday 1 November Race day
-
06:006:00 AM–07:007:00 AM
Bag drop for the marathon Gwanghwamun Square. Bags go to the finish at Olympic Park by truck. The organiser recommends dropping by 06:30.
Times as published by the organiser, in Seoul time, checked . Confirm on their site before you travel.
The forecast for Sunday
Race morning, on the record
We hold no start time for this race, so the record is read at 09:009:00 AM, local time.
Add to calendar .ics file, times in Seoul time
Entry
Race fuel
Energy gel
5 gels for Seoul, plus 1 spare
Finish
One every 40 minutes, by the clock:
Under about 75 minutes most runners need no gel: water at the aid stations does it.
- km 7mile 4.4
- km 14.1mile 8.7
- km 21.1mile 13.1
- km 28.1mile 17.5
- km 35.2mile 21.8
For your long training runs:
Our pick: SiS BETA Fuel gel, box of 6, strawberry and lime. 40 g of carbohydrate a gel, about twice a usual gel, from two kinds of sugar your body takes up side by side. Enough for race day and two test long runs.
Easy to forget on race morning: pack them with your bib the night before.
Order now to test one on your last long run.
Get it on Amazon
We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
In Canada the button opens GU Energy Gel, Salted Caramel, 24-pack, the best seller there.
Outside the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the UK and Ireland, Spain and Portugal, Italy, the rest of the EU and Canada the button opens GU Energy Gel, Chocolate Outrage, 24-pack on Amazon.com, the best seller there.
Anti-chafe
Compeed anti-blister stick, 8 ml
An invisible layer before the start keeps seams, straps and shoes from rubbing skin raw.
Put it on before you leave for the start: heels and toes, inner thighs, under a bra or heart-rate strap.
Try it on a long run first, like everything you use on race day.
Get it on Amazon
We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
Number belt
Compressport Race Belt
Holds your bib without safety pins through your top, with loops for up to 8 gels.
Clip the bib on the night before, so it goes on with your shorts in the morning.
Keep the number on the front, where officials and photographers can see it.
Get it on Amazon
We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
Electrolytes
SiS Hydro electrolyte tablets, tube of 20
One tablet in a bottle puts back some of the salt you sweat out.
One tablet in 500 ml of water in the hour before the start.
Only if you have used them in training: nothing new on race day.
Get it on Amazon
We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
Blister plasters
Compeed blister plasters, medium, 6
One in a pocket cushions a blister if one starts.
Put it on clean, dry skin and leave it until it comes off by itself.
Give a couple to whoever comes to cheer, so they are there at the km you need them.
Get it on Amazon
We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
Questions about the JoongAng Seoul Marathon
- When is the JoongAng Seoul Marathon 2026?
- Sunday 1 November 2026.
- How do I enter the JoongAng Seoul Marathon?
- Entry is through the organiser. Entry fee: US$150 (for the 2026 race). Entry details on the organiser’s site
- What is the time limit at the JoongAng Seoul Marathon?
- Runners have 5 hours to finish.
Keep exploring
More races to look at after the JoongAng Seoul Marathon.
