The 24th Hapcheon Cherry Blossom Marathon, Early Registration Closed

Significant Increase in 10km or Longer Participants
Record 13,207 Applications Nationwide

The 24th Hapcheon Cherry Blossom Marathon, running along the beautiful Hwanggang River in Hapcheon’s Baekri Cherry Blossom Road, will be held on March 30th at the Hapcheon Cherry Blossom Marathon course area.

This year’s event saw a surge of participants from the early registration stage, with a total of 13,207 participants, resulting in early closure of registration. Since COVID-19, the number of applicants has set a new record every year, showing how eagerly many running enthusiasts nationwide have been waiting for this event.

A notable point in this year’s registration status is that participants running 10 km or more increased significantly by about 88% compared to the previous event, reaching 9,153. In particular, participants from the metropolitan area, Busan, and Daegu increased by approximately 77% compared to the last event, indicating a substantial rise in out-of-region participants.

Photos of the Hapcheon Cherry Blossom Marathon.

Judging from this, it can be seen that the Hapcheon Cherry Blossom Marathon is establishing itself as a major marathon event representing the nation, beyond just a local festival.

All participants in this year’s event will receive a commemorative T-shirt, and those running 10 km or more will additionally receive 1 kg of Yeonghojinmi rice. Furthermore, teams with 30 or more participants will be provided with a group booth and local specialty foods.

Additionally, generous prizes such as washing machines, TVs, and local specialties are prepared for participants, and various food booths including Hapcheon Hanwoo Bulgogi will be operated, offering a diverse range of events to welcome runners from across the country.

This year’s event is also expected to be fun by spotting participants in unique costumes. With the increase of marathon participation among the younger generation, a ‘Best Dresser Award’ has been added, where the more one shows off their presence, the better their chances. After the event day, the top three will be selected through voting and awarded local specialty products as prizes.

Kim Yoon-cheol, the mayor of Hapcheon County and the event organizer, stated, “Since the pattern of participant registration this year is very different from before, we are paying special attention to preparations,” and added, “We will do our best to ensure there are no shortcomings in welcoming marathon enthusiasts visiting Hapcheon from all over the country.”