Autumn breeze, golden fields… 8,000 people ‘Healing Marathon’

• allforyouclick
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• on Sep 18, 2023

About 8,000 runners enjoyed the early fall marathon festival while feeling the breath of 700 years of Baekje.

The 2023 Gongju Baekje Marathon, the ‘herald of the fall marathon’, was held on the Baekje Main Road in Gongju-si, Chungcheongnam-do at 9 a.m. on the 17th. The day before the competition, it rained in Gongju City, hastening the arrival of fall. However, on the day of the race, the rain stopped as if it had never happened before and the weather was typical of early fall, perfect for enjoying a marathon.

●Best weather for racing…

Participants gathered at Gongju Citizen Stadium, the starting point, prepared for the competition by warming up and taking proof shots. In particular, young participants in their 20s and 30s wearing colorful fashion stood out.

At 9 a.m., the departure time, the temperature was 22.7 degrees, a clear fall weather. It was a big difference from last year, when I felt a bit of pressure during the race due to the hot and humid weather with a temperature of 30 degrees and humidity of 75%.

Participants enjoyed the race divided into five categories: full course, 32.195km course, half course, 10km shortened marathon, and 5km health run. In particular, the 32.195km course newly established this year attracted attention as more than 800 people, or more than 10% of the total 8,000 participants, participated.토토사이트

Participants in the 2023 Gongju Baekje Marathon are running across a golden field filled with the atmosphere of early fall. The Gongju Baekje Marathon course, held along Baekje Main Road, is known as a luxury course that combines the Baekje Island, Geumgang River, and wide open fields. The small photo on the right shows a family participating in the competition holding their child’s hand and moving to the starting line at Gongju Citizen’s Stadium. Gongju l Reporter Lee Han-gyeol

●Full Course Lee Jong-hyun and Kim Hana Win Men’s and Women’s Championships

In the full course men’s division, Lee Jong-hyun (31), winner of the 2019 competition, once again took the lead with 2 hours, 43 minutes and 10 seconds. Mr. Lee ranked 5th in the Masters at this year’s Seoul Marathon and Donga Marathon with a time of 2 hours, 28 minutes and 59 seconds. Mr. Lee expressed his thoughts on the race, saying, “I am getting married next month, and I ran hard to show my wife that I could win.”

The full course women’s championship went to Kim Hana (37). Mr. Kim, who crossed the finish line in 3 hours, 7 minutes and 8 seconds, took 5th place in the Masters at the Seoul Marathon and was honored with 1st place in this competition. Mr. Kim, who attempted his first full course at the Gyeongju Marathon last year and won right away with a sub-3, said, “This is already his 6th full course completion. “I want to win the race with a sub-3 record,” he said.

Park Yun-soo (27, 2 hours, 16 minutes, 00 seconds), winner of the men’s division in the newly established 32.195km category this year, said, “I ran my first full course at the Donga Marathon in March. “I participated to prepare for ‘Sub 3’ (complete the full course in 3 hours or less), but I didn’t expect to win,” he said. “We also do ‘LSD (Long Slow Distance, running slowly for long distances of 30km or more)’ in the crew, but thanks to the unique atmosphere of the competition, “I think the record came out better,” he said.

Kim Jeom-ok (50, 2 hours, 24 minutes and 47 seconds), winner of the women’s division in the 32.195km category, said, “I heard that the Gongju Marathon was hot and the course was difficult, but today it was windy and there was shade from a tree in the middle, so I thought, ‘I’m blessed.’”

●Visually impaired – guide runner complete 10km

There were many topical participants. In this competition, thanks to the cool weather, more than 1,000 preschool and elementary school students took part in a 5km health run with their families. Kim Chae-yul (10), a 4th grade elementary school student, said, “It was very difficult,” but was proud of the commemorative medal around his neck.

Uncle Kim Hyuk (43), who played with his nephews in place of his father, who went to his grave ahead of Chuseok, said, “I came as a pinch hitter for my dad. “I think he’s been running for the first time in 21 years since his military canter,” he said, smiling brightly.

Ji Sang-jin (32), who is visually impaired, and his high school classmate Bang Hyeon-tae (32) completed the 10 km run while connected to each other with a string. Mr. Ji said, “It was not easy for me to experience running outside as my eyesight had recently deteriorated, but thanks to my friend, I was able to breathe the outside air and run for the first time in a while.” Mr. Bang, who was new to marathons and guide runners, laughed and said, “My friend was a better runner, so rather than me guiding him, he ran at my own pace.”

On this day, Gongju Mayor Choi Won-cheol, Gongju City Council Chairman Yoon Gu-byeong, Gongju Police Chief Park Jong-min, and Dong-A Ilbo editorial writer Cheon Gwang-am encouraged the participants on site. Mayor Choi and Chairman Yoon ran the 5km course, and Kongju University President Lim Kyung-ho ran the 10km course.