Seoul International Marathon
Encyclopedia
The Seoul International Marathon, also known as the Dong-A Ilbo
Seoul Marathon, is an annual marathon
race that takes place in Seoul
, South Korea
. It is one of two annual races over the 42.195 km classic distance in the city, alongside the JoongAng Seoul Marathon
which is held in November. It holds IAAF Gold Label Road Race status. First held in 1931, it is the third longest-running road running
competition in Asia
after the Hakone Ekiden
and Chugoku Yamaguchi Ekiden in Japan.
The race has been integral to the elite level of the sport in Korea, as ten of the 28 South Korean national records
in the marathon have been set at the competition. In addition to the marathon, the event also features half marathon
, 10 km and 5 km races for public fun run
ners. The day's races attract around 20,000 people on a yearly basis.
Marathon, which was first held in 1931. It was not a true marathon and the looped course in the city measured roughly 50 ri
s (around 14.5 miles or 23.3 km). The race was contested between fourteen of the country's top male runners and Seoul's Kim Eun-Bae won the first edition. Kim and the 1933 winner Sohn Kee-chung
both went on to compete at the Olympic marathon, although they did so under the flag of Japan
as Korea
was part of the Japanese empire
at that time.
This fact contributed to the suspension of the 1937 race: the event's sponsor, Korean broadsheet
the Dong-A Ilbo
, censored the Japanese flag in its reports of Sohn's marathon victory at the 1936 Berlin Olympics and the ruling Japanese military junta
responded by suspending both the newspaper and the race. The race returned as an annual fixture from 1938 to 1940 but was again discontinued, initially due to World War II
and later because of the Korean War
. The race returned on April 1954 and Im Jong-Woo became the first person to win twice, taking back-to-back victories in 1954 and 1955.
The competition's first official full-length marathon was contested in 1964 and the change brought about improvements in the national standards as Lee Myeong-Jeong set a South Korea
record to win in 1965 and Kim Bong-Nae became the first Korean to run under two hours twenty minutes a year later. At the 1970 edition, Canadian Ron Wallingford and two Japanese runners provided the race with its first international competitors. The quality of the field saw domestic runner Kim Cha-Wan react with a national record run of 2:17:34.4 to win the race. Kim improved his mark again in 1973 and went on to become the Dong-A Marathon's most prolific winner, scoring four victories in the 1970s. Japanese marathoner Toyoichi Masuda became the first foreign winner in 1977 and he was soon joined by his countryman Makoto Matsuzaki, who won two years afterwards. A women's 10 km race was added to the programme in 1979 and Moon Ki-sook became the first women's Dong-A champion.
Im Eun-Joo won a women's 30 km race in 1981 and female runners were allowed to take on the full marathon distance the following year. She went on to claim three straight marathon titles from 1983 to 1985. The 1982 race hosted a dual domestic and international race, with results kept separate for the divisions. In anticipation of the 1988 Seoul Olympics, the city also hosted separate international races from 1983 up to 1987 (which was the IAAF World Marathon Cup race). The Dong-A competition in the 1980s saw the men's record reach 2:12 territory through Jang-hee Lee in 1987.
With the advent of another decade, Won-Tak Kim brought the men's record down to 2:11:38 in 1990. Hwang Young-cho
, Seoul's winner in 1991, went on to take the gold medal
at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Wan-Ki Kim reduced the national record further to 2:09:25 in 1993. The marathon was moved to Chuncheon
for the 1992 event and had a seven-year stint in Gyeongju
from 1993 to 1999. It returned to Seoul in 2000, but its impact in the latter city led to the creation of the Gyeongju International Marathon
.
The event took on a more international nature from 1994 onwards, renaming itself the Dong-A International Marathon; following the invitation of runners from twelve countries, Manuel Matias
of Portugal became the first winner from outside of Korea and Japan. The marathon reached a landmark of over 10,000 starters in 1999 as 11,303 runners signed up for the full distance in the elite and popular races.
China's Wei Yanan
brought the women's record down to 2:25:06 in 2002, knocking over five minutes off the previous course best. Gert Thys
had two consecutive victories in 2003 and 2004 (recording a record time of 2:07:06 in the latter), but a third win in 2006 was erased after he failed a drugs test for the banned steroid norandrosterone. That year Zhou Chunxiu
of PR China became the seventh woman to ever finish under two hours and twenty minutes as she set the women's record at 2:19:51 hours. Kenya
n runner Sylvester Teimet set the current men's record in 2010 with his win in 2:06:49 hours.
The competition begins at Gwanghwamun Plaza in the city centre and finishes within the Olympic Stadium
. The course has a point-to-point format and traces a south-easterly path through the city centre. After departing from the main plaza, the route flows into Sejongno
thoroughfare and passes the statue of Yi Sun-sin
. The runners then pass the Namdaemun gateway and head through Cheonggyecheon
park. The route traces a pass through Dongdaemun-gu
district before crossing the Han River
to head towards the stadium finishing point.
Key:
Note: All other years approx 25 km (15.5 mi)
Dong-a Ilbo
The Dong-a Ilbo is one of three major South Korean newspapers with over 2 million daily circulation...
Seoul Marathon, is an annual marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
race that takes place in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. It is one of two annual races over the 42.195 km classic distance in the city, alongside the JoongAng Seoul Marathon
JoongAng Seoul Marathon
The JoongAng Seoul Marathon is an annual footrace that takes place in Seoul, South Korea, usually in early November. First held in 1999, the race was established as a commemoration of Olympic marathon race which was held as part of the 1988 Seoul Olympics. It features a men's marathon elite race,...
which is held in November. It holds IAAF Gold Label Road Race status. First held in 1931, it is the third longest-running road running
Road running
Road running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road . These events would be classified as long distance according to athletics terminology, with distances typically ranging from 5 kilometers to 42.2 kilometers in the marathon. They may involve large numbers of runners...
competition in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
after the Hakone Ekiden
Hakone Ekiden
', which is officially called ', is one of the prominent university ekiden races of the year held between Tokyo and Hakone in Japan on 2 and 3 January. The race is telecast on Nippon Television....
and Chugoku Yamaguchi Ekiden in Japan.
The race has been integral to the elite level of the sport in Korea, as ten of the 28 South Korean national records
South Korean records in athletics
The following are the national records in athletics in South Korea maintained by the Korean Association of Athletics Federations .-Men:-Women:-Men:-Women:-External links:* *...
in the marathon have been set at the competition. In addition to the marathon, the event also features half marathon
Half marathon
A half marathon is a road running event of . It is half the distance of a marathon and usually run on roads. Participation in half marathons has grown steadily recently. One of the main reasons for this is that it is a challenging distance, but does not require the same level of training that a...
, 10 km and 5 km races for public fun run
Fun run
A fun run is a friendly race that involves either road running or cross country running with participants taking part for their own enjoyment rather than competition. A fun run will usually be held to raise funds for a charity, with sponsors providing the revenue to cover organisational costs...
ners. The day's races attract around 20,000 people on a yearly basis.
History
The genesis of the competition is traced back to the YoungdungpoYeongdeungpo-gu
Yeongdeungpo-gu is an administrative district in southwest Seoul, South Korea. Although the origin of the name is uncertain, the first two syllables are thought to be from "yeongdeung" or "divine ascent", a shamanic rite. The third syllable is "po", representing water , referring to the...
Marathon, which was first held in 1931. It was not a true marathon and the looped course in the city measured roughly 50 ri
Li (unit)
The li is a traditional Chinese unit of distance, which has varied considerably over time but now has a standardized length of 500 meters or half a kilometer...
s (around 14.5 miles or 23.3 km). The race was contested between fourteen of the country's top male runners and Seoul's Kim Eun-Bae won the first edition. Kim and the 1933 winner Sohn Kee-chung
Sohn Kee-chung
Sohn Kee-Chung became the first medal-winning Korean Olympian, when he won the gold medal in the marathon at the 1936 Berlin Olympics as a member of the Japanese delegation....
both went on to compete at the Olympic marathon, although they did so under the flag of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
as Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
was part of the Japanese empire
Korea under Japanese rule
Korea was under Japanese rule as part of Japan's 35-year imperialist expansion . Japanese rule ended in 1945 shortly after the Japanese defeat in World War II....
at that time.
Broadsheet
Broadsheet is the largest of the various newspaper formats and is characterized by long vertical pages . The term derives from types of popular prints usually just of a single sheet, sold on the streets and containing various types of material, from ballads to political satire. The first broadsheet...
the Dong-A Ilbo
Dong-a Ilbo
The Dong-a Ilbo is one of three major South Korean newspapers with over 2 million daily circulation...
, censored the Japanese flag in its reports of Sohn's marathon victory at the 1936 Berlin Olympics and the ruling Japanese military junta
Military junta
A junta or military junta is a government led by a committee of military leaders. The term derives from the Spanish language junta meaning committee, specifically a board of directors...
responded by suspending both the newspaper and the race. The race returned as an annual fixture from 1938 to 1940 but was again discontinued, initially due to World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and later because of the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. The race returned on April 1954 and Im Jong-Woo became the first person to win twice, taking back-to-back victories in 1954 and 1955.
The competition's first official full-length marathon was contested in 1964 and the change brought about improvements in the national standards as Lee Myeong-Jeong set a South Korea
South Korean records in athletics
The following are the national records in athletics in South Korea maintained by the Korean Association of Athletics Federations .-Men:-Women:-Men:-Women:-External links:* *...
record to win in 1965 and Kim Bong-Nae became the first Korean to run under two hours twenty minutes a year later. At the 1970 edition, Canadian Ron Wallingford and two Japanese runners provided the race with its first international competitors. The quality of the field saw domestic runner Kim Cha-Wan react with a national record run of 2:17:34.4 to win the race. Kim improved his mark again in 1973 and went on to become the Dong-A Marathon's most prolific winner, scoring four victories in the 1970s. Japanese marathoner Toyoichi Masuda became the first foreign winner in 1977 and he was soon joined by his countryman Makoto Matsuzaki, who won two years afterwards. A women's 10 km race was added to the programme in 1979 and Moon Ki-sook became the first women's Dong-A champion.
Im Eun-Joo won a women's 30 km race in 1981 and female runners were allowed to take on the full marathon distance the following year. She went on to claim three straight marathon titles from 1983 to 1985. The 1982 race hosted a dual domestic and international race, with results kept separate for the divisions. In anticipation of the 1988 Seoul Olympics, the city also hosted separate international races from 1983 up to 1987 (which was the IAAF World Marathon Cup race). The Dong-A competition in the 1980s saw the men's record reach 2:12 territory through Jang-hee Lee in 1987.
With the advent of another decade, Won-Tak Kim brought the men's record down to 2:11:38 in 1990. Hwang Young-cho
Hwang Young-Cho
Hwang Young-cho is a former South Korean athlete, winner of the marathon race at the 1992 Summer Olympics and 1994 Asian Games.-Career:...
, Seoul's winner in 1991, went on to take the gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Wan-Ki Kim reduced the national record further to 2:09:25 in 1993. The marathon was moved to Chuncheon
Chuncheon
Chuncheon is the capital of Gangwon Province, South Korea. The city lies in the northeast of the country, located in a basin formed by the Soyang River and Han River. There are some large lakes around the city, most notably Lake Soyang and Lake Uiam...
for the 1992 event and had a seven-year stint in Gyeongju
Gyeongju
Gyeongju is a coastal city in the far southeastern corner of North Gyeongsang province in South Korea. It is the second largest city by area in the province after Andong, covering with a population of 269,343 people according to the 2008 census. Gyeongju is southeast of Seoul, and east of the...
from 1993 to 1999. It returned to Seoul in 2000, but its impact in the latter city led to the creation of the Gyeongju International Marathon
Gyeongju International Marathon
The Gyeongju International Marathon is an annual road running event over the marathon distance which takes place in mid-October in Gyeongju, South Korea. It gained IAAF Silver Label Road Race status in 2010....
.
The event took on a more international nature from 1994 onwards, renaming itself the Dong-A International Marathon; following the invitation of runners from twelve countries, Manuel Matias
Manuel Matias
Manuel Fernando Gonilho Matias is a retired long-distance runner from Portugal, who won the 1989 edition of the Fukuoka Marathon, clocking 2:12:54 on December 3, 1989. A year earlier he triumphed in the Paris Marathon...
of Portugal became the first winner from outside of Korea and Japan. The marathon reached a landmark of over 10,000 starters in 1999 as 11,303 runners signed up for the full distance in the elite and popular races.
China's Wei Yanan
Wei Yanan
Wei Yanan is a Chinese marathon runner. She won the Beijing Marathon at the age of eighteen and has won marathons in Seoul, Shanghai and Dalian....
brought the women's record down to 2:25:06 in 2002, knocking over five minutes off the previous course best. Gert Thys
Gert Thys
Gert Thys is a male long-distance runner from South Africa, who represented his native country in the marathon at the 1996 and 2004 Summer Olympics...
had two consecutive victories in 2003 and 2004 (recording a record time of 2:07:06 in the latter), but a third win in 2006 was erased after he failed a drugs test for the banned steroid norandrosterone. That year Zhou Chunxiu
Zhou Chunxiu
Zhou Chunxiu is a Chinese marathon runner.She competed at the 2004 Olympic Games, finishing the marathon in 33rd place. She placed fourth in the marathon at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki. She won the marathon gold medal at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar...
of PR China became the seventh woman to ever finish under two hours and twenty minutes as she set the women's record at 2:19:51 hours. Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
n runner Sylvester Teimet set the current men's record in 2010 with his win in 2:06:49 hours.
Course
Olympic Stadium (Seoul)
The Seoul Olympic Stadium, aka Jamsil Olympic Stadium is located in Seoul, South Korea. It was the main stadium was built for the 1988 Summer Olympics and the 10th Asian Games in 1986...
. The course has a point-to-point format and traces a south-easterly path through the city centre. After departing from the main plaza, the route flows into Sejongno
Sejongno
Sejongno is a street that cuts through Jongno-gu in downtown Seoul. It is named after King Sejong. The street is only 600 meters in length, but thanks to its central location it is of great symbolic importance. It points north to Gwanaksan and Bukhansan , and the Joseon Dynasty palace,...
thoroughfare and passes the statue of Yi Sun-sin
Yi Sun-sin
Yi Sun-shin was a Korean naval commander, famed for his victories against the Japanese navy during the Imjin war in the Joseon Dynasty, and is well-respected for his exemplary conduct on and off the battlefield not only by Koreans, but by Japanese Admirals as well...
. The runners then pass the Namdaemun gateway and head through Cheonggyecheon
Cheonggyecheon
Cheonggyecheon is an 8.4 km long, modern public recreation space in downtown Seoul, South Korea. The massive urban renewal project is on the site of a stream that flowed before the rapid post-war economic development required it to be covered by transportation infrastructure...
park. The route traces a pass through Dongdaemun-gu
Dongdaemun-gu
Dongdaemun-gu is one of the 25 gu of Seoul, South Korea. It is located to the north of the River Han. Its district office is in Yongdu-dong where is close to the underground station of branch of Line 2....
district before crossing the Han River
Han River (Korea)
The Han River is a major river in South Korea and the fourth longest river on the Korean peninsula after the Amnok, Duman, and Nakdong rivers. It is formed by the confluence of the Namhan River , which originates in Mount Daedeok, and the Bukhan River , which originates on the slopes of Mount...
to head towards the stadium finishing point.
Pre-marathon
Note: All other years approx 25 km (15.5 mi)
| Edition | Year | Men's winner | Time (h Hour The hour is a unit of measurement of time. In modern usage, an hour comprises 60 minutes, or 3,600 seconds... :m Minute A minute is a unit of measurement of time or of angle. The minute is a unit of time equal to 1/60th of an hour or 60 seconds. In the UTC time scale, a minute on rare occasions has 59 or 61 seconds; see leap second. The minute is not an SI unit; however, it is accepted for use with SI units... :s Second The second is a unit of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units base unit of time. It may be measured using a clock.... ) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1931 | 1:22:05 | |
| 2nd | 1932 | 1:21:51 | |
| 3rd | 1933 | 1:24:03 | |
| 4th | 1934 | 1:20:34 | |
| 5th | 1935 | 1:22:43 | |
| 6th | 1936 | 1:20:11 | |
| — | 1937 | Banned | |
| 7th | 1938 | 1:29:09 | |
| 8th | 1939 | 1:28:12 | |
| 9th | 1940 | 1:29:02 | |
| Not held from 1941–1953 due to World War II World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... and Korean War Korean War The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union... |
|||
| 10th | 1954 | 1:23:43 | |
| 11th | 1955 | 1:23:16 | |
| 12th | 1956 | 1:21:42 | |
| 13th | 1957 | 1:20:28 | |
| 14th | 1958 | 1:21:15 | |
| 15th | 1959 | 1:20:12 | |
| 16th | 1960 | 1:20:17 | |
| 17th | 1961 | 1:19:55 | |
| 18th | 1962 | 1:18:54 | |
| 19th | 1963 | 1:21:53 | |
Marathon
Key:| Edition | Year | Men's winner | Time (h Hour The hour is a unit of measurement of time. In modern usage, an hour comprises 60 minutes, or 3,600 seconds... :m Minute A minute is a unit of measurement of time or of angle. The minute is a unit of time equal to 1/60th of an hour or 60 seconds. In the UTC time scale, a minute on rare occasions has 59 or 61 seconds; see leap second. The minute is not an SI unit; however, it is accepted for use with SI units... :s Second The second is a unit of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units base unit of time. It may be measured using a clock.... ) |
Women's winner | Time (h Hour The hour is a unit of measurement of time. In modern usage, an hour comprises 60 minutes, or 3,600 seconds... :m Minute A minute is a unit of measurement of time or of angle. The minute is a unit of time equal to 1/60th of an hour or 60 seconds. In the UTC time scale, a minute on rare occasions has 59 or 61 seconds; see leap second. The minute is not an SI unit; however, it is accepted for use with SI units... :s Second The second is a unit of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units base unit of time. It may be measured using a clock.... ) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20th | 1964 | 2:27:13.8 | — | — | |
| 21st | 1965 | 2:21:21.6 | — | — | |
| 22nd | 1966 | 2:19:07 | — | — | |
| 23rd | 1967 | 2:19:44 | — | — | |
| 24th | 1968 | 2:19:42.9 | — | — | |
| 25th | 1969 | 2:20:28 | — | — | |
| 26th | 1970 | 2:17:34.4 | — | — | |
| 27th | 1971 | 2:19:15.8 | — | — | |
| 28th | 1972 | 2:19:34.4 | — | — | |
| 29th | 1973 | 2:17:01 | — | — | |
| 30th | 1974 | 2:16:15 | — | — | |
| 31st | 1975 | 2:21:09.6 | — | — | |
| 32nd | 1976 | 2:18:20 | — | — | |
| 33rd | 1977 | 2:18:40 | — | — | |
| 34th | 1978 | 2:17:01 | — | — | |
| 35th | 1979 | 2:17:18 | — (10 km) | ||
| 36th | 1980 | 2:16:46 | Unknown | — | |
| 37th | 1981 | 2:21:23.4 | 2:02:08 (30 km) | ||
| 38th | 1982 | 2:16:58 | 3:01:50 | ||
| — | 1982 | 2:14:34 | 2:43:12 | ||
| 39th | 1983 | 2:16:33 | 2:48:13 | ||
| 40th | 1984 | 2:14:59 | 2:39:48 | ||
| 41st | 1985 | 2:15:48 | 2:45:06 | ||
| 42nd | 1986 | 2:14:06 | 2:40:41 | ||
| 43rd | 1987 | 2:12:21 | 2:41:50 | ||
| 44th | 1988 | 2:12:41 | 2:33:14 | ||
| 45th | 1989 | 2:15:18 | 2:39:27 | ||
| 46th | 1990 | 2:11:38 | 2:37:15 | ||
| 47th | 1991 | 2:12:35 | 2:41:43 | ||
| 48th | 1992 | 2:09:30 | 2:36:44 | ||
| 49th | 1993 | 2:09:25 | 2:45:52 | ||
| 50th | 1994 | 2:08:33 | 2:35:44 | ||
| 51st | 1995 | 2:10:58 | 2:38:08 | ||
| 52nd | 1996 | 2:08:25 | 2:30:09 | ||
| 53rd | 1997 | 2:12:37 | 2:43:40 | ||
| 54th | 1998 | 2:12:24 | 2:37:16 | ||
| 55th | 1999 | 2:11:34 | 2:35:11 | ||
| 56th | 2000 | 2:11:29 | 2:33:06 | ||
| 57th | 2001 | 2:11:49 | 2:32:09 | ||
| 58th | 2002 | 2:11:22 | 2:25:06 | ||
| 59th | 2003 | 2:08:42 | 2:23:18 | ||
| 60th | 2004 | 2:07:06 | 2:26:17 | ||
| 61st | 2005 | 2:08:53 | 2:23:24 | ||
| 62nd | 2006 | 2:11:40 | 2:19:51 | ||
| 63rd | 2007 | 2:08:04 | 2:23:12 | ||
| 64th | 2008 | 2:07:32 | 2:26:11 | ||
| 65th | 2009 | 2:07:54 | 2:25:37 | ||
| 66th | 2010 | 2:06:49 | 2:24:13 | ||
| 67th | 2011 | 2:09:11 | 2:26:51 |