Swimming in the lake and 123-floor vertical marathon... Lotte Aquathlon Successfully Concluded

Over 660 Participants with Completion Rate Above 95%
Competition Concludes Without Safety Incidents
Positive Feedback on Seokchon Lake Water Quality Improvement Work

As night receded and morning seeped in, around 6 a.m., the arena plaza at Lotte World Tower in Jamsil, Seoul, was bustling with people wearing swimsuits and cycling shorts. Most were warming up with running and stretching. Despite the drizzling weather, no one wore raincoats or carried umbrellas. On the contrary, it was easy to find people who had even taken off their tops, letting sweat soak their bodies. It was a remarkable scene born from an unusual urban sports competition.

On the 16th, participants of the 2023 Lotte Aquathlon held at Seokchon Lake in Songpa-gu, Seoul, are energetically entering the water. [Image source=Yonhap News]

About 660 triathletes gathered on the 16th at Lotte World Tower in Seoul. They were participants of the 'Lotte Aquathlon,' who swam in Seokchon Lake and then ran up the stairs of the 123-story Lotte World Tower. All were members of triathlon or swimming clubs, standing here to challenge their limits. The event organizer, Lotte World Tower, recruited a total of 800 participants for this event, doubling the scale compared to the first competition last August (420 participants). However, considering absentees, the actual number of participants was about 660, according to the organizers.

The competition course involved swimming two laps around Seokchon Lake (a total of 1.5 km) and then climbing all 2,917 stairs from the 1st to the 123rd floor of Lotte World Tower. Since individual records were measured from the start time to determine rankings, the order of departure held little significance in the competition. However, for safety and smooth event progress, the organizers divided participants into six large groups based on prior records and started them accordingly. The organizers explained, "If slower participants start ahead, more skilled competitors might be hindered during the race, increasing the risk of accidents, so we divided the groups."

On the 16th, when the 2023 Lotte Aquathlon competition was held at Lotte World Tower in Songpa-gu, Seoul, dark clouds covered the 123rd floor where the participants were to ascend. Photo by Seongpil Jo @gatozz

The race began with 'promising triathletes' selected by the Korea Triathlon Federation. Nineteen middle school boys and girls, known as national team prospects, cut through the waves of Seokchon Lake, signaling the official start of the competition. Starting with about 20 participants who had pre-swim records under 20 minutes, the general participants, about 660 people, followed and plunged into Seokchon Lake one after another. The leading group completed the swim in about 20 minutes and immediately started the vertical marathon.

In the men's general category, Mr. Kwon Minho (23) won with a record of 42 minutes and 35 seconds. He completed two laps around Seokchon Lake in 19 minutes and 25 seconds and then climbed the 2,917 stairs of Lotte World Tower in 20 minutes and 21 seconds. He said, "It was physically tough to run up the stairs right after swimming," adding, "I wanted to give up every 10 floors, but I kept telling myself 'I can do it' and persevered to the top." In the women's category, Ms. Kim Hyerang (23) was the first to cross the finish line with a time of 49 minutes and 27 seconds.

On the 16th, the leading group of general participants in the 2023 Lotte Aquathlon competition held at Lotte World Tower in Songpa-gu, Seoul, began the vertical marathon after finishing the swimming segment. Photo by Seongpil Jo @gatozz

In the middle school division, brothers swept first and second place. The winners were Kwon Yongjin (15) and Yongmin (13). Yongmin, who came in second, said, "Climbing the stairs was tough, but I kept thinking 'I'll just catch up to my brother' and kept going." The winner, Yongjin, said, "I wanted to give up around the 50th floor, but thinking that my younger brother was following me helped me finish the race." The oldest participant in this competition, Mr. Kwak Insu (72, male), crossed the finish line with a time of 1 hour, 39 minutes, and 36 seconds.

Among the approximately 660 participants that day, only 18 dropped out midway. The completion rate exceeded 95%. Those who dropped out reportedly stopped voluntarily due to their physical condition rather than accidents. The organizers stated, "The event concluded safely without any accidents."

Participants of the 2023 Lotte Aquathlon are climbing the stairs of Lotte World Tower in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 16th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The organizers operated an accident response headquarters and kept ambulances on standby in preparation for any emergencies. A Lotte Corporation official said, "We deployed about 30 safety personnel, including motorboats and lifeguards, along the Seokchon Lake swimming course," adding, "At Lotte World Tower, safety personnel were stationed every three floors, and emergency medical technicians were placed in evacuation safety zones to prepare for emergencies."

Before the event, Lotte World Tower collaborated with Songpa District Office to improve the water quality of Seokchon Lake. As a result, the lake's transparency increased from 0.6 meters to up to 2 meters, and the water quality improved from grade 3 to grade 2 or higher. Participants in the competition also personally felt these improvements. The men's winner, Mr. Kwon, said, "I once competed in an aquathlon in the Han River before COVID-19, and compared to that, the water quality of Seokchon Lake was much cleaner and perfect for swimming."