[Report] Swimming in Seokchon Lake and 123-Story Vertical Marathon... 800 Ironmen Gathered

2024 Lotte Aquathlon Successfully Completed
Completion Rate 96%... No Safety Accidents
Positive Feedback on Seokchon Lake Water Quality Improvement Work

Seoul Jamsil Lotte World Tower Arena Plaza. In the early morning hours, it is a popular spot for jogging or walking exercises. However, the 14th was different. As the night receded, people wearing swimsuits or cycling shorts began to gather one by one. They were participants of the 'Lotte Aquathlon,' who swam in Seokchon Lake and ran up the 123 floors of the Lotte World Tower. All were members of triathlon or swimming clubs who gathered here on this day to challenge their limits.

Participants of the '2024 Lotte Aquathlon' are gathering and warming up at the Lotte World Tower Arena Plaza in Jamsil, Seoul on the morning of the 14th. Photo by Seongpil Jo @gatozz

Triathletes gathered once again at Seoul Lotte World Tower. On this day, Lotte World Tower hosted the unique urban sports event, the '2024 Lotte Aquathlon.' The aquathlon is a triathlon sports event where participants swim two laps (a total of 1.5 km) around Seokchon Lake and then climb all 2,917 stairs from the 1st to the 123rd floor of the Lotte World Tower. This is the third year of the event, and the organizer, Lotte Property & Development, recruited 800 participants last month for this competition.

The race began with 'promising triathletes' selected by the Korea Triathlon Federation. Sixteen middle school boys and girls, regarded as national team prospects, cut through the waves of Seokchon Lake to signal the start of the competition. General participants were divided into six groups and started the race in order. They plunged into Seokchon Lake according to their preliminary record times. The organizer explained, "If slower participants start ahead, it could interfere with the race of more skilled participants," and added, "For safety reasons, groups were divided and started based on preliminary record times."

Participants of the 2024 Lotte Aquathlon are plunging into Seokchon Lake and powerfully cutting through the water. Photo by Seongpil Jo @gatozz

In the men's general category, Kim Wanhyuk (27) won with a time of 43 minutes and 40 seconds. Kim completed two laps around Seokchon Lake in 20 minutes and 14 seconds, then climbed the 2,917 stairs of Lotte World Tower in 21 minutes and 3 seconds. He said, "It felt more extreme than doing a triathlon on the road, so I enjoyed it," and added, "It was unfamiliar but a good training experience." In the women's category, Pyeon Chahi (25) crossed the finish line first with a time of 49 minutes and 21 seconds. Pyeon said, "Last year, it rained and was humid, so my result (3rd place) was not good, but this year the weather was nice, so I could focus more on the race."

Chef and broadcaster Austin Kang also drew attention as a participant on this day. He finished with a time of 1 hour, 9 minutes, and 13 seconds and said, "I applied because the event consists of swimming and stair climbing, which seemed fun," adding, "I did not practice swimming separately since I was a water polo player, but I practiced stair climbing in my apartment." Austin Kang also said, "I want to prepare harder and participate again next year." The oldest participant in this competition was Ha Geumbun (77, female), who successfully completed the race in 1 hour, 50 minutes, and 52 seconds.

Kim Wanhyeok, who won the men's general division at the 2024 Lotte Aquathlon, is celebrating after crossing the finish line. Photo by Seongpil Jo @gatozz

Among the 800 participants on this day, only 32 dropped out midway. The completion rate was 96%. No safety accidents occurred. The organizer had previously formed an accident response headquarters and established an emergency contact network with nearby fire stations, police stations, and hospitals to prepare for any emergencies. On the day, 30 paddleboards, 4 motorboats, and about 40 lifeguards were deployed at Seokchon Lake, with 3 ambulances on standby. Emergency medical technicians were stationed at every evacuation safety zone in Lotte World Tower, and safety personnel were placed every three floors.

Since 2021, Lotte Property & Development has been working with Songpa District Office to improve the water quality of Seokchon Lake. As a result, before this competition, the transparency of Seokchon Lake increased from 0.6 meters to a maximum of 2 meters, and most water quality environmental standards were rated first grade. Participants in the competition also personally felt these improvements. Men's winner Kim said, "While swimming, I tasted the water, and it was as clean as swimming pool water," and women's winner Pyeon said, "The water quality seems better than last year."

On the 14th, the 2024 Lotte Aquathlon competition was held at Lotte World Tower in Songpa-gu, Seoul. Photo by Seongpil Jo @gatozz

Jang Jaehoon, CEO of Lotte Property & Development, said, "Lotte has been continuously working on water quality improvement projects for Seokchon Lake together with Songpa District Office to provide a clear and clean resting place for citizens," adding, "We hope this competition served as a meaningful time to think about the environment, using the opportunity of the cleaner Seokchon Lake."