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Apr 27, 2024

Dong-A Seoul International Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Dong-A Seoul International Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.3

Organization 4.4

Spectators 3.8

Number of comments: 37 [displaying comments 11 to 21]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 > ]

T. H. from Hong Kong (3/23/2011) "A little disappointed" (about: 2011) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Dong-A Seoul International Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I don't like traveling - in other words, I seldom race away from home, but decided to make my way to Seoul after hearing all the positive comments about it. I agree with many of the comments from fellow runners under this column e.g., good organization, flat course, good discipline and lack of English translations, etc. My personal comments: Positive: 1. Good timing - ideal weather, cool, dry (but not this year though). The 8 a.m. start also reasonable. 2. Time zone well set and respected. 3. Convenient pick up of numbers and stuff. 4. Easy pick up of souvenirs at end. I particularly like finisher's medals only awarded after completion. 5. Good city-marathon atmosphere, running inside the urban areas and stadium finish. Not so positive: 1. Course, though overall flat, was but bumpy at many places. Also tight corners, bends and narrowed paths at some locations. I didn't feel relaxed for the majority of the race; I had to decelerate, and swerve to avoid bumping into others (may be myself to blame because I started right back - zone D - because I forgot to declare my record when register). I also carried a hamstring injury on the day so the uneven surface didn't help. 2. Too long delay at the start; I didn't pass the start line until 8:20. There were also a few false starts as a result of not understanding Korean, which the MC delivered the message in. Not ideal, especially under the damp and cold condition. 3. Not much crowd support. Disappointing for a very city course. I probably wouldn't bother again unless I happen to be there or thereabouts at the time. I may be biased because I didn't have a good run; in fact, I achieved my PW (personal worst) of 3:48, mainly due to the hamstring. I wonder if I can see myself in a photo like in many other big marathons.
Russ Porter from Shanghai, China (3/27/2010) "Well Organized, Flat Course" (about: 2010) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Dong-A Seoul International Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Overall, a fast, flat race with decent, but generally subdued spectators, and a great finish in the Olympic Stadium. There were 23,000 runners, primarily Korean (no surprise there), with good camaraderie among the runners. Pre-race was pretty good. The website is in English, and Google does a fair bit of translating the Korean page. Package pickup was relatively painless, and the directions to the pickup for foreigners were accurate and easy to follow. I was put into the wrong time group, and had some trouble finding someone on race morning to ask about moving up into the right time group (they had me in 5:00 rather than 4:00), but had no problems just moving up myself. The start was a bit long, and in freezing temperatures - the official race start was 8:00, but with speeches and introductions, the running didn't actually start until almost 8:20. On a warmer day, it wouldn't be a problem, but this was COLD. Once the race started, none of that mattered, though. The pace groups were clear and many - 4 pacers each for the 3:50, 4:00, 4:10, and 4:20 pace, so you could get aligned with different packs. The course was well laid out, with the first half in a tourist-y section of the city, running out and back along a man-made canal, so you could see the rest of the race, but the turnarounds got a bit crowded. The second half was more point-to-point, with long straight stretches as the running packs opened up a bit. The course was flatter than the elevation guide suggests, with no major hills, even on the bridge. The KM markers were clear and visible (and accurate) and the water/Pocari stations were right where expected (every 5K), full of drinks (with lots of visible supply) and many tables, so crowding wasn't too bad. Bananas and Mallowmars at both 20K and 30K were well received, though marshmallow cookies may not be the best for a dry mouth (chocolate - good!, marshmallow/cookie - not so much). The spectators were generally good, although a bit more subdued than Western runners might expect. Where there were crowds of spectators, they were enthusiastic, but in most stretches, there weren't a lot of them. The end of the race was a lap through the Olympic Stadium, which you could see from the bridge at KM35, and made for a good last-mile objective. Post-finish line was well organized and easy to follow, with clear stations to follow for chip return, refreshment bag, etc. I finished in 4:12.45, a PR for me, so I was pretty happy with the race anyway, but overall, I thought this a good race to do if you're already in Asia, but not one that I would travel to from the US.
Raymond Hee Kok Keong from Hong Kong (1/7/2010) "Superb!" (about: 2009) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Dong-A Seoul International Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Organization was fantastic! Having crowds lining the entire course was electrifying. Weather was a little too cold but not a major concern. Bib collection was a breeze in spite of the non-existence of marathon expo. Finisher medal was beautifully carved. Overall, nice and excellent marathon.
C. D. from Brisbane, Australia (3/26/2009) "Great course, and good organization" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Dong-A Seoul International Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I ran a PB ("PR" in American-ese) of 3:09 in this year's Seoul Marathon, so obviously I have positive things to say. The course is flat, and fast, and the organization was generally pretty good. But it would have been helpful if there were more drink stations: here in Australia the intermediate points between the 5, 10, 15K, etc. (at which there is sports drink as well as water) have supplies of water, which can be very helpful, especially if you're taking a GU. The race itself was hassle-free. It was a pity that there weren't more spectators in the stadium at the end of the race; there were many more people in the MCG at the end of the Melbourne Marathon, for instance. Overall, I'd recommend this event.
J. C. from Emeryville, CA (3/24/2009) "What a great marathon experience..." (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Dong-A Seoul International Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Pros: I've run in a few marathon, ranging from several hundred runners to 20,000+ runners and I've learn to generally avoid "mega marathons." I mean, who needs the hassle of dealing with the traffic and crowds at the bib pickup, then the crowded starting line with the weaving around through the slow herd stampede that doesn't thin out until you pass the 10 mile-mark, then the un-enthused spectators standing around for their friend and/or family participant to run by? Bib pick up was very foreigner friendly at the 7th floor of the Dong-A Ilbo building. Email and telephone questions were answered promptly. Based on my previous time of 3:12, I was put in the A corral; that gave me an easier start, much like what you find at the smaller marathon where responsible runners run according to their ability. The weather was a little windy, but otherwise perfect. Slightly cold at the start (low 40F-ish) but warming (to the high 50s) by the end. The crowds were so energetic and encouraging - I think I must have high-fived at least 100 people. Drink stations are at every 5K split (and lie between the places where you get your splits). I thought that might be too far apart, so I brought my Ultimate Direction water bottle. But I probably didn't need it. Unlike the states where the water stations are more frequent (about every two miles) but shorter, the Dong-A was less frequent but stretched on and on. It was easy to get as much in the way of fluids as you needed mid-run. Overall the course is a very slight downhill, but for the most part, it was flat, with a few short, minor uphills. It is a very fast course, comparable to CIM. Scenery-wise it runs through some of the significant areas: the start is at the Blue House (Korea's White House) and Admiral Yi Shun Shin Statue goes down to the South Gate, down and back newly restored Cheonggyecheon Stream to the East Gate across the Han River than to the Olympic stadium where you run down the entrance around for a lap (part of is on the jumbo-tron) and then to the finish line. Cons: 1) It was hard to distinguish between the water and electrolyte drink (Pocari Sweat). Also, it was too sweet. 2) No gels, Choco-pies are nice, but not really during a marathon. Eating a thin chocolate cake with marshmallowy center make your mouth dry. 3) The English website only has the bare minimum of information . It would be great to offer a full translated English version of the Korean original.
M. K. from Yongsan (3/23/2009) "Incredible marathon across the board!!!" (about: 2009) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Dong-A Seoul International Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I am already planning to run this marathon again in 2010. Great course - mostly flat, and starting in waves (separated by 3-5 minutes each) helped thin things out early. Water points were plentiful, registration and bag drop were flawless, and finishing on the Olympic Stadium track is a memory of a lifetime. This is the best organized marathon/triathlon I've raced - awesome. What a great way to start the racing year - with the Seoul International Marathon. See you next year for sure.
C. I. from Toronto (3/20/2009) "flat, fast and well run..." (about: 2009) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Dong-A Seoul International Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Just returned from Seoul. Ran it for my first time. Its a fast, flat run and I very much enjoyed it. They put you in starting groups based on your previous best time. I ran with a friend and this was her first full, so we basically started at the back of the pack. There is water and sport drinks every 5K and the tables are a little crowded. The sport drink is Ion or something like that; my tummy didn't seem to mind it. The course is pretty good, and the fans are excellent. They seemed to really cheer for non Korean's. There weren't too many of us. There were 30,000+ people in the race, so it was a little crowded. The Olympic Stadium finish was amazing; I will remember it forever. Good shirt, and good medal too. I would suggest that if you are considering going, it's worth the travel.
S. M. from Ilsan-di Goyang-dong Korea (3/18/2009) "A must-run event! Come to Seoul!" (about: 2009) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Dong-A Seoul International Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I am in Seoul on a one-year English teaching contract. When I planned to come to South Korea, I thought I might be able to run this race, despite not training for it. I am so glad I did it. It was an incredible day and a magnificent journey for any foreigner to come embrace the hospitality of the Korean people. The logistics of the race are top-notch, from beginning to end. All runners started within 20 minutes of the elites and, thanks to a huge road with plenty of space for waiting, you don't feel crammed in to the holding paddocks. Water stations and food stations were well done. The bananas were peeled for you already. They also have chocolate creme pies, which, although not a normal race food for me, were a nice treat. Although they did not have anything but water until near mile 18 where they had sports drink, I did not feel like I needed it. Only thing that would have made it perfect was to have had gel at the food stations too. The finish in Seoul Olympic Stadium will bring tears to any hardcore runner's eyes. Remember Carl Lewis in 1988? You are displayed on the big screen when you run in the stadium. It was quite a bucket list moment for me. The finisher's medal is OK; nothing special.
P. M. from Osan, Korea (3/17/2009) "An excellent race; extremely well-organized." (about: 2009) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Dong-A Seoul International Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The course was nearly flat, and although it was crowded at first, it thinned out after about 5-7 KM. Even without being able to read or speak a word of Korean, the number pickup and bag drop were by far the easiest I've seen. The drink stations were huge, maybe 10-12 tables long, so there was no crowding there and getting two or three cups of water from each one was no problem. There were long portions with little or no crowd support, but the finish in the Olympic Stadium was AWESOME, and more than made up for the emptier spots. Run this race if you get the chance.
S. C. from Florida, USA (3/15/2009) "Great race but need some work" (about: 2009) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Dong-A Seoul International Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 The Seoul Marathon is a great marathon, but there are a few things that they can improve on. 1. Water stations; there were not enough water stations on the course and the volunteers couldn't get enough water poured out fast enough for the athletes. 2. No sports drinks until mile 18 or so. 3. No gels were given out during the race. 4. Needs a better website for registering. I couldn't make a payment online, so I sent in money and an entry form. I went to the building where they had the race pick-up, and they had my envelope, but hadn't opened it. I would say that this is a wonderful marathon except for those points.

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