Full Marathon Course (42.195 km) Introduced for the First Time
45% Participation from Gumi, 55% from Outside the City
Emerging as a Nationwide Marathon Event
Gumi City in North Gyeongsang Province held the "2026 Gumi Park Chunghee Marathon" at Nakdonggang Sports Park on March 1. The event, which brought together approximately 30,000 participants, event officials, and cheering citizens, concluded successfully.
Organized by the Gumi City Sports Association, co-hosted by the Maeil Newspaper and Gumi City Athletics Federation, and sponsored by Gumi City, this event featured four race categories: full marathon, half marathon, 10 km, and 5 km. Notably, the full marathon course (42.195 km), introduced for the first time this year, enhanced the event's competitiveness and symbolic value, achieving balanced participation across all categories.
On March 1, the "2026 Gumi Park Chunghee Marathon" was held at Nakdong River Sports Park / Photo provided by Gumi City Hall
Participants were comprised of 45% from the Gumi area and 55% from outside the city, with runners coming from all over the country, including North Gyeongsang Province, Daegu, and the Seoul metropolitan area. This significantly reinforced the event's status as a nationwide marathon.
There was also nationwide participation, with 16 runners coming from Jeju Island. In addition, foreign athletes from countries such as C?te d'Ivoire and the Central African Republic, as well as participants from Gumi's Chinese sister and friendship cities (Changsha, Shenyang, Weinan, Guang'an, and Yiwu), took part in the event. This expanded the foundation for international exchange and demonstrated the marathon's potential for international growth.
In particular, Yang Haoshang, an invited athlete from Weinan, a sister city in China, won first place in the men's half marathon, highlighting the achievements in international exchange. Doneng-Wanzoumon, Minister of Youth, Sports, and Civic Education of the Central African Republic, also attended the event, further elevating its profile as an international sports exchange gathering.
The marathon course started at Nakdonggang Sports Park and looped around major arterial roads in the city center. To ensure safety and minimize inconvenience for citizens, comprehensive traffic measures were implemented, including section-by-section traffic control and shuttle bus operations. Along the main sections of the course, citizens voluntarily cheered on the runners, encouraging them to complete the race and adding to the spirit of a community-wide sports festival.
Gumi Mayor Kim Jangho stated, "Despite introducing the full marathon course for the first time, we were able to conclude the event safely thanks to the enthusiastic participation of citizens and runners from across the country. We will continue to develop this as a representative citizen-participation sports event for Gumi and nurture it into a premier marathon that attracts runners nationwide."
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