The 2006 Seoul International Marathon

With 85 out of its 100 members attending the upcoming Seoul International Marathon, the Bundang Gumpu Marathon Club has become something of a model for all amateur running clubs.

Started in 1999, Gumpu was the first amateur marathon running club in Korea to host its own marathon event. On April 9, the club will host its seventh Bundang Marathon.

“Runners themselves organize the event, so they have a pretty good idea of how to take care of other runners—when to give them water, what kind of souvenirs are appreciated, and so on,” says Chang, the club’s president.

But the most important thing for a marathon club is how well they run in a marathon.

The Gumpus keep a vigorous training schedule that is anything but amateur.

Every Sunday, they start out from Bundang Ward Office and run 30-35 kilometers to the upper stream of Tancheon in Jamsil. Tuesdays and Thursdays are set aside for speed and interval training sessions at Yatap playground. They also have cross-country training in the spring and fall.

Among the members are doctors and weight-training specialists, who monitor the physical conditions of other members.

Jae-Yun Jung jaeyuna@donga.com