Namwon Chunghyang National Marathon: Dates, Tickets & Venue (Namwon)

A late-autumn race in Chunhyang’s town

Namwon has built its identity on a love story. This is the setting of Chunhyangjeon, the Joseon-era tale of Chunhyang and Yi Mong-ryong, and the race borrows her name. You see the story around town on statues, signs and the pavilion grounds where it is set.

The 2026 edition takes place on Saturday, November 28, at Namwon Sports Town. It offers four distances:

• 5K
• 10K
• Half marathon
• Full marathon

That spread makes it a club outing as much as a serious race. Club runners chase a time over the full distance while families and first-timers fill the 5K.

What late November feels like on the start line

Late November is cold in inland Jeolla. Mornings are crisp, and the low mountains around the Namwon basin, foothills of Jirisan, have mostly lost their autumn colour by now. Runners usually line up in throwaway layers, gloves and a light hat, then shed them in the first kilometre.

For anyone who suffers in summer racing, this is the payoff. Cool air suits the half and full distances. The flip side is waiting around before and after the race, so a warm change of clothes in the bag matters more here than at a spring race.

Getting to Namwon Sports Town

Namwon sits on the Jeolla Line, and KTX trains from Seoul’s Yongsan Station stop at Namwon Station. The journey takes a little over two hours depending on the service. Intercity and express buses also run into Namwon’s bus terminal from Seoul, Gwangju and Jeonju.

From the station or terminal, local taxis are the simplest way to reach Namwon Sports Town on race morning. Because the race is on a Saturday, most runners from Seoul or Busan come down on Friday. They stay in town rather than gamble on an early train connection.

Entering the race

There is no box office here. Entry works by registration, and the organiser publishes the distances, course and entry details on its official race site. As with most Korean amateur road races, the entry pages are mainly in Korean. Overseas runners often use a browser translator or ask a Korean-speaking friend to help with the form.

The guide holds no entry fees, cut-off times or start times. Those details sit with the organiser’s own page, along with any category or age-group rules.

Race day the Korean club way

Korean marathons have a culture of their own, and knowing it makes the day easier.

• Running clubs travel as a group. Look for matching club vests and club tents near the start area. Members warm up together, and they cheer loudly for anyone in their colours.
• Race kits often arrive by post. Many Korean races mail bibs and souvenir shirts to registrants ahead of race day, so read the organiser’s notes on how this edition handles pickup.
• Paying for things. Card payment is accepted almost everywhere in town, including most taxis. A T-money card covers local buses.
• Etiquette on course. Runners keep right on narrow stretches and say “jamsimanyo” (“excuse me”) when passing in a crowd. Spectators shout “hwaiting!” at everyone, including strangers.
• After the finish. Local runners tend to head straight for a hot meal rather than lingering in the cold.

Recovering in Namwon

The obvious post-race meal is chueotang, the loach soup Namwon is known for across Korea. A cluster of chueotang restaurants sits around Gwanghallu Garden. A bowl of it, thick with ground loach and perilla, is about as warming as food gets on a November afternoon.

Gwanghallu Garden itself is an easy walk after a meal. Gwanghallu Pavilion stands over ponds crossed by Ojakgyo, the magpie bridge, and this is where the Chunhyang story says the lovers met. Its opening hours shift through the year, and the official site has the current times.

Runners with a spare day after the race often drive into Jirisan National Park. Its eastern valleys are a short trip from Namwon. Even on stiff legs, a slow walk along a valley trail beats sitting on a train home.