Routes · Hapjeong, Mapo-gu
Mangwon · Han River · Seonyudo.
망원 · 한강 · 선유도
Start at Hapjeong, head west along the Han River past Mangwon Hangang Park, cross at Yanghwa-daegyo and loop through Seonyudo Park, a former water-filtration plant turned ecological island. 12 km of mostly-flat paved running, with longer 16, 17 and 28 km variants from the same starting point and a Hangang Bus version that lets you ride out and run back.
- Distance
- 12.3 km
- Elevation
- 118 m
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Surface
- Paved riverside path; one or two bridge crossings depending on variant
₩100,000 ₩60,000 Founders rate · 2026 · 90 minutes · price + payment confirmed after booking
Course map
The route, on the actual map.
GPS-recorded track with points of interest along the way. Click any marker for the local context: water, toilets, CV stores, bridge crossings, photo spots.
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Other distances
The default 12 km loop: Hapjeong → Mangwon → Yanghwa-daegyo crossing → Seonyudo Park → back. The full character of the route at a sane distance.
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How it runs
The route, in five parts.
This is the route I run more than any other. I trained for my last marathon on it. All times of day, all times of year. It is my home ground, and the one I would pick if I were only allowed one.
What I love about the first half is something hard to find in Seoul. You start in the city, with convenience stores, cafes, the Hangang Bus terminal, all the urban amenities pumping, and then within about ten minutes you have jumped into complete greenery. The riverside trail goes through dense foliage and opens into wide, easy running path. Even at peak season the first stretch is rarely busy. It feels like you have stepped out of the city into a forest.
Then you cross two genuinely great bridges, see both edges of the river, get the skyline on the opposite side, and end up on Seonyudo Park, an old water-filtration plant the city turned into an ecological island. It is, to my mind, one of the most beautiful and most under-visited parks in Seoul. I lived a thirty-minute walk away for six years and never went, because it sits in the middle of a road bridge and you do not realise it is there until someone points it out. The rose garden alone is worth the run.
Run as the main 12 km loop, or pick a length variant: 17 km via Mapo, a tighter 16 km Yeouido focus, a 28 km Sangam long for marathon-training weeks, or the Hangang Bus version where we ride out to Yeouido and run back. Same starting point, same POIs along the way.
- 01
Hapjeong start, drop down to the river
We meet at Hapjeong-dong, two minutes from Hapjeong Station Exit 7, and use the pedestrian underpass beside the preserved ROK Navy ship to drop into Mangwon Hangang Park. Within five minutes the city sound is behind you.
- 02
West along the north bank
Five kilometres of flat, paved, mostly car-free running with the river on the left and dense foliage on the right. Public restrooms, water fountains and a convenience store every kilometre or two. This is the stretch that does not feel like Seoul any more, and even on a peak-season weekend it is rarely crowded.
- 03
Cross Yanghwa-daegyo to the south bank
The route turns up Yanghwa-daegyo on the pedestrian deck: a few minutes climbing the ramp, then a flat span across with the skyline opening on both sides. The longer variants keep west past Yanghwa before crossing; the main 12 km turns here.
- 04
Seonyudo Park, the hidden island
Drop down off Yanghwa-daegyo onto Seonyudo, a former water-filtration plant the city turned into an ecological park. Rose garden, gazebos, interpretive trails through industrial ruins, views back across the river. Most Seoul runners have never set foot here.
- 05
Back to Hapjeong
Out of Seonyudo and across the river to the north bank, picking up the path home. Coffee at the Mangwon CV cluster, or carry on to the start. The 12 km main loop closes; the longer variants keep going west to Sangam and the Nanjido archery range bridge before heading back.
Facts
Numbers, surfaces, fountains, toilets.
The things you actually want to know before you head out.
- Default distance
- 12.3 km (main loop)
- Variants
- 12 / 13 / 16 / 17 / 28 km plus Hangang Bus
- Elevation gain
- +118 m (main). Most of it is bridge approaches; both Yanghwa-daegyo and the Seonyudo crossing have elevators if you want to skip the stairs.
- Surface
- Paved path plus bridge deck
- Traffic exposure
- None on the river path; bridge decks separated from road traffic
- Shade
- Decent shade for the first ~7 km along the river. Very exposed on the bridge decks. On-and-off shade through the rest of the route.
- Water fountains
- Hapjeong, Mangwon (multiple), Yanghwa, Yeouido (multiple), Seonyudo
- Toilets
- Hapjeong, Mangwon (multiple), Yanghwa, Yeouido (multiple), Dangsan
- Convenience stores
- Mangwon (cluster with Starbucks), Yeouido, Sangam (longer variants)
- Transit
- Subway Line 6, Hapjeong (start & finish)
When to run it
Best time, best season, the honest caveats.
Best time of day
Early morning before 8am has the river path almost to itself. Late afternoon into evening is the second-best window, when the open stretch toward Sangam catches a long golden hour in spring and autumn.
Best seasons
Spring (April–June) for the rose garden in bloom and cool mornings; autumn (September–November) for the cleanest air and longest comfortable run windows.
Caveats and Plan B
- Summer midday on the open river path is hot; there is real shade only in pockets. June through August, run early or late.
- The Yanghwa-daegyo pedestrian deck is shared with cyclists and can get busy on weekend afternoons in good weather. Stay right.
- The Sangam long variant tags on a Mapo southern loop before turning back west, so the back half feels long. Eat before, not during.
From me
I trained for my last marathon on this route. I have run it at 5 a.m. and at 9 p.m., through monsoon rain and through the first frozen mornings of January, alone and with friends. The first time I made myself stop at Seonyudo Park I had lived a thirty-minute walk away for six years and never gone in. Now it is the first place I take anyone who tells me they have run the Han River and want something better. It is one of my favourites, not because it is the showiest run in Seoul, but because it has nothing to prove.
· Quintin
Where we start
Hapjeong Station Exit 7 (Line 6), or Mangwon Hangang Park entrance
Subway Line 6, Hapjeong. Exit 7 is two minutes from the river. The pedestrian underpass beside the preserved navy ship drops you straight into Mangwon Hangang Park.
FAQ
Quick answers.
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Which variant should I pick?
First time, take the classic 12 km. It covers the full character of the route (city → forest → bridges → Seonyudo) in a manageable distance. Want longer? The 17 km Mapo extension and 16 km Yeouido focus are both popular. The 28 km Sangam long is for marathon-training weeks. The Hangang Bus version is a softer option: we take the ferry out and run back.
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How busy is it really?
The Hapjeong-to-Mangwon-to-Yanghwa stretch is one of the quietest parts of the Han path even in peak season. Seonyudo is a working park, busier on spring and autumn weekend afternoons, but rarely crowded enough to slow a run.
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Can I do this without crossing any bridges?
Mostly no, the Han River loop relies on bridge crossings to get between banks. The Hangang Bus variant trades the first bridge crossing for a ferry leg if you want to break it up.
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What if it is wet?
Light rain is fine; the paths are paved and the trees give some cover on the western stretch. Heavier rain we either shorten to the main 12 km loop or pivot to a different route entirely.
Take it with you
GPX + interactive map coming with the route packs.
Downloadable GPX, turn-by-turn cues, the elevation profile, and an interactive map land with the first route pack. Until then, run it with me, I know every turn.