Hanam:Seoul Online registration has commenced for the Yonhap News Hanam International Trail Run Festival, an international trail run event scheduled for December 12 and 13. Organized by Yonhap News Agency, Korea National Sport University, and the Hanam city government, this event marks the first trail run festival supported by the South Korean government.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the festival features four courses a 5-kilometer road course for 1,000 participants, a 10km road course for 2,000, a 15km trail run for 1,000, and a 28km trail run for 1,000. The registration, which opened on Thursday, runs until November 27 and is limited to the first 5,000 applicants. Hwang Young-cho, the 1992 Olympic marathon gold medalist, has designed these courses.
The participation fees are structured as follows 30,000 won for the 5km course, 50,000 won for the 10km course, 80,000 won for the 15km course, and 100,000 won for the 28km course. A 50 percent discount on the longest trail course is offered to the first 300 international applicants.
The event will take place at Misa Regatta Park in Hanam, Gyeonggi Province, a site known for hosting rowing and canoeing races during the 1988 Summer Olympics. The 15km trail run will lead participants up Mount Geomdan, while the 28km course includes Namhansanseong, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The festival will also highlight performances related to K-culture and local traditional markets. A variety of elite athletes, including recent gold medalists from the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, will participate, offering further excitement to the event.
Participants will collect medals for completing the road runs and both medals and gifts for the trail runs. Cash prizes range from 200,000 won for the 5km winner to 2 million won for the 28km trail run champion. A lucky draw winner will receive a KIA PV5 camper van.
Korea National Sport University Prof. Kang Kwang-bae, serving as executive director, emphasized the festival's aim to be a global cultural and sports event. Hwang Young-cho is committed to making the festival a memorable experience for all runners.