The Seoul international Marathon

The 2007 Seoul International Marathon and 78th Dong-A Marathon will start at 8:00 a.m. on March 18 at Sejongno, Jongno-gu, Seoul. The 42.195-kilometer course runs through Sungryemun onto Cheonggyecheon, through the Seoul Forest, and into Jamsil Olympic Stadium after circling the city.

The first contest to take place in the urban areas of Seoul will have contestants like the popular Lee Bong-ju (2 hours 7 minutes 20 seconds, Samsung Electronics) who will participate for the first time in 3 years after 2004. He will compete with Paul Kiprop Kirui (2 hours 6 minutes 44 seconds) from the kingdom of marathons, Kenya, and other world-class runners. A total of 22,434 runners, Korea’s biggest group of marathon veterans, will run through the city and enjoy the festival with 10,000,000 Seoulites.

The Seoul International Marathon, the oldest-running marathon, will be sponsored by television networks MBC, Eurosport, and CCTV (China Central Television), and will be televised in 56 countries around the world.

Meanwhile, on March 18, from 5:30 a.m. to 1:34 p.m., cars will not be allowed in restricted areas for as long as 4 hours. The marathon organization committee and Seoul City will work to minimize resident inconveniences, but there will be some encumbrances to weekend outings.

To reduce inconveniences, check with the traffic control schedule and maps when planning outings this weekend.

yjongk@donga.com