Chuncheon International Leisure Festival: Over 1,800 Complete 'Chuncheon Sky Race'

Chuncheon City Offers Leisure Sports All Year Round
City Focuses on Boosting Leisure Tourism

The Chuncheon Leisure Taekwondo Organizing Committee has been holding the 2025 Chuncheon International Leisure Festival, which consists of eight events, on a regular basis since June. The fifth event of the festival, the trail running (mountain marathon) competition, was held over two days from September 20 to 21 at Elysian Gangchon, with about 1,800 runners from across the country racing through the forests of Chuncheon.

Hyun Joon-tae, Vice Mayor of Chuncheon City, and Jo Young-taek, Vice Chairman of the Organizing Committee, along with Chuncheon Leisure Sports character Yeongdali, are taking a commemorative photo before the start with about 1,600 adult participants. Provided by Chuncheon Leisure Taekwondo Organizing Committee

The trail running event, hosted by the Organizing Committee and Chuncheon City, was branded as the "Chuncheon Sky Race" and organized by Good Runner Company. Good Runner Company is a young enterprise whose employees are passionate runners, enabling them to quickly grasp market trends and lead the running culture. After reviewing the company's brand management philosophy and consumer responses to their events, the Organizing Committee determined that they would be an excellent partner for launching the branding of Chuncheon as a "city of sustainable running." As a result, the Sky Race series was brought to Chuncheon.

Now in its second year, the Chuncheon Sky Race saw a 60% increase in participation in the Kids Race, with a total of 250 infants, lower-grade, and upper-grade elementary students divided into three groups running up the slopes of Elysian Gangchon. Notably, the medals for the Kids Race were designed based on the grand prize-winning artwork from an online drawing contest held for children who participated in the 2024 event. This is seen as a thoughtful approach that, although the event itself is held only once a year, creates additional memorable experiences and strengthens loyalty to the event, the city, and the brand.

This year’s event also included Joy House, a nonprofit chain that cares for the children of African migrant workers from countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, and South Africa while their parents work. Thanks to this partnership, around 30 foreign children participated in the race together.

Chuncheon’s leisure mascot, "Romantic Otter Yeongdali," made an appearance at the event and was warmly received by participants. As children who had just finished their run, energized by Chuncheon’s natural surroundings, high-fived and took photos with the mascot, it served as a friendly introduction to Chuncheon’s leisure symbol.

On September 20, preliminary programs and promotional booths, including the Kids Race, were held, while on September 21, about 1,600 adults ran the 11 km and 24 km trails. Over the course of these two days, the local restaurants around Gangchon were filled to capacity, demonstrating the positive economic impact and the potential for further development of Chuncheon’s leisure sports events as a driver of tourism.

The Organizing Committee stated, "We are preparing for 2026 with the goal of actively planning educational programs, competitions, and tourism projects that utilize Chuncheon’s mountains and lakes, aiming to connect and revitalize tourist attractions and downtown commercial districts." The committee expressed its ambition to boost tourism through leisure sports.

This coming weekend, "X-PLAY Chuncheon," which brings together X-Games events (3-on-3 basketball, skateboarding, BMX freestyle, aggressive inline skating, scooter, and DJing), will be held over two days. On the second and third Saturdays of October, the "Yojeum Autumn" outdoor yoga pop-up class will take place on the lawn at Hwadong 2517. On the second Saturday of October, the "Slow Leisure Triathlon Challenge" will be held around Uiam Lake, allowing Chuncheon citizens to enjoy cycling, canoeing, and trekking on Bungeo Island. On the third Saturday, Yoonseul and Noeul Canoe will operate at the city’s new landmark, the Culture Plaza Forest, with Chuncheon Bridge as the backdrop.

Additionally, on October 18, the "Kids Leisure Challenge," an event where children can experience running and cycling, will be held at Hwadong 2571. On October 19, 2,200 road cyclists from across the country will participate in the "Bianchi Gran Fondo Chuncheon," and 100 Chuncheon citizens will compete for the title of "Physical Chun 100" at Songam Sports Town. Finally, on the first Saturday of November, youth BMX racers from all over the country and their parents will gather for a racing event.

A Chuncheon City official stated, "We are focusing on developing products that will encourage both domestic and international tourists to visit Chuncheon frequently to enjoy and relax through leisure sports."