Korea race calendar · Seoul
Seoul Marathon (Dong-A)
서울 마라톤 (동아 마라톤)
Asia's oldest marathon, first run in 1931, March, Gwanghwamun start, Jamsil Olympic Stadium finish.
- Race date
- Sunday, March 21, 2027
- Registration window
- Registration closedMay 18, 2026 to Jun 3, 2026
- Distances
- Full · 10K
- Where
- Gwanghwamun Square / Seoul city course
Seoul Marathon (Dong-A) Weather Forecast: March 21, 2027
The course
Point-to-point full marathon and 10K through central Seoul. The full starts at Gwanghwamun Plaza, runs east along Jongno and Cheonggyecheon, crosses to the south side via one of the eastern Han River bridges, then follows the river to finish inside Jamsil Olympic Stadium, the same track that hosted the 1988 Olympic marathon.
Net mostly flat, with a few short rolling stretches around the bridges. Nothing technical.
World Athletics Platinum Label, IAAF-certified. First run in 1931, Asia's oldest marathon in continuous form, with the field now around 40,000 across the full and the 10K.
Weather you should expect
Mid-March. Typical conditions 4 to 10°C at the start, climbing into the low teens by the finish for slower runners.
The variable isn't temperature; it's pollution and rain. Pack for both possibilities and decide on race morning.
The start area
Gwanghwamun fills up from about 06:30 for an 08:00 gun.
Corrals seed by predicted time and fill fast, so be in your assigned corral 30 minutes before the start or you get bumped back. Bag drop is well-organized but queues are long; if you live in Seoul or are staying close, going light and skipping the bag check is the better move.
My race-day record · Half-and-half (full marathon as a two-person relay, second leg) · 2023
The course, exactly as I ran it
Course, splits, pace and heart rate from race day, recorded on my watch.
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- Finish time
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- Avg pace
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- Elevation
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- Avg HR / Max
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Loading race record…
Drag the line on the map or hover the charts to see splits along the route.
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- Elapsed
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- Pace here
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All splits
| Km | Split | Cumulative | Pace | Avg HR | Elev + |
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I ran this · Half-and-half (full marathon as a two-person relay, second leg) · 2023
My experience
This was my first organized race. I'd run all through high school and college but never raced anything.
A friend talked me into the Seoul Marathon in 2023 and we did the "half-and-half" format the race used to offer, a two-person relay where each runner takes half of the full marathon course and hands off at the midpoint. They don't run the half-and-half anymore, but it was the right way in for me, and it's still the way they run the equivalent format at Gunsan.
I took the second leg, so I missed the Gwanghwamun start (one of the great Korean race-day moments) but I got the entire south half of the city: Jongno through Wangsimni, across one of the eastern bridges with Lotte Tower sitting on the southern skyline like a target, then the long Han River stretch into Jamsil.
Crossing that bridge and seeing Lotte Tower in the distance was the moment the run clicked for me. Finishing inside Jamsil Olympic Stadium, running through the tunnel, onto the actual 1988 Olympic track with the stands full, is the kind of finish that turns you into a marathoner.
I had a bit left in the tank so I sprinted the last 100m on the track. Cannot recommend that feeling enough.
It's a big race, around 40,000 across the full and the 10K, and somehow still well-organized. Food, medals, post-race flow at the finish were smooth.
If you can get in, do it. Seoul Marathon isn't in the World Marathon Majors but it deserves a seat at that table; it's in the same conversation as New York, London, Tokyo, and very few races on the planet finish you on an Olympic track.
How to register
Official site (seoul-marathon.com): domestic
Two things have changed in recent years and both matter. First, you now need to be a registered Dong-A Club member before you can apply; set that up well in advance.
Second, the domestic full marathon requires a chip-timed qualifying result from the past two years: under 5 hours for a marathon, 2:12 for a half or 1 hour for a 10K, submitted in the record round before entry opens. The 10K has no qualifying standard.
For the 2027 race, record submission opened in mid-May 2026 and entry opened in stages in early June, first come rather than by lottery. Have multiple devices ready, be logged in, and have your record approved before your wave opens.
International runners
The "Registration closed" status at the top of this page is the domestic window. Overseas entry runs separately and opened later, on September 1, 2026.
The overseas channels for 2027 are en.dongma.club, World's Marathons and RunNet Japan: USD 150 for the full (net time under 5:00 set between January 1, 2024 and November 30, 2026) and USD 100 for the 10K (no qualifying time). Overseas runners collect their race pack in person at the Seoul Marathon Expo.
Follow the official Instagram (@seoul_marathon) for changes; it's the single most reliable signal.
Sponsor / corporate slots
A small block goes through corporate partners and Dong-A Ilbo channels. Worth asking around if you miss the public window.
Bib pickup
Domestic registrants: your bib and race pack ship to your registered Korean address roughly 1 to 2 weeks before the race. You do not need to go to the expo.
International runners and anyone who couldn't receive a shipment: pickup is at the COEX expo on the Friday and Saturday before race day. Bring your passport and the printed confirmation.
No race-day pickup. The expo itself is worth an hour even if you don't need it for pickup; it's a decent gear shop.
Getting there
Start: Gwanghwamun Station (Line 5, exit 5 or 6). Finish: Sports Complex / Jamsil (Line 2).
The subway runs from ~05:30 on Sunday so you have time. Don't drive: central Seoul road closures from 05:00.
Visitor tip
Follow the official Instagram.
Registration windows, the international pathway timing, certified-record rules, course changes: all of it lands there first. Korean race info changes year-to-year and the Instagram is the most reliable source.
FAQ
- Is the Seoul Marathon foreigner-friendly?
Yes. The expo and on-course signage are bilingual, and there's a sizeable international field including a deep East African elite group.
Overseas entry runs on its own schedule, separate from the domestic window. The dates, the fees and the qualifying rule are under "International runners" in the How to register section above.
- Do I really need a certified previous-race record?
For the domestic full marathon, yes: a chip-timed result from the past two years, under 5 hours for a marathon, 2:12 for a half or 1 hour for a 10K.
The 10K has no qualifying standard. Overseas full entrants need a marathon net time under 5:00.
- How fast does the full marathon sell out?
Places go fast once each wave opens. Be ready on multiple devices, logged in, with your qualifying record already approved before your wave.
- Does the race still offer the "half-and-half" relay format?
No, they retired the half-and-half a few years ago.
There is no half marathon now either: the race is the full and the 10K. The two-person handoff format does still exist at Gunsan and a few other Korean races.
- What's the cutoff?
5 hours for the full and 1 hour 30 minutes for the 10K, enforced by sweeper buses.