JTBC Seoul Marathon: Dates, Tickets & Venue (Seoul)

A Sunday morning when Seoul gives up its roads

On race morning, a city of ten million clears its streets for runners. Lanes that normally carry buses and delivery scooters fill with thousands of people in matching club singlets. Volunteers hand out cups along the route, and marshals hold back traffic at junctions that are never this quiet otherwise.

The JTBC Seoul Marathon is held on November 1, 2026, and it ranks among Korea’s largest city marathons. Its Korean name is JTBC 서울마라톤, which helps when you search Korean running forums or read local signage. JTBC is the broadcaster behind the name.

Two Seoul marathons, six months apart

Seoul has two big marathons, and first-timers mix them up all the time. The Seoul Marathon, sometimes called the Dong-A Marathon, runs in March. The JTBC Seoul Marathon is the autumn race. Earlier editions ran under the JoongAng Seoul Marathon name.

They have different organisers and different registration systems, and their courses don’t match. Advice you read about “the Seoul Marathon” may be about the spring race. A Korean forum thread can mention either one. Go by the race name and the month, because the city name alone won’t tell you.

Course, venue and registration

The organiser publishes each edition’s start area, finish area, course map and registration link on the official race site. Over the years the start and finish points have moved around the city. For that reason, this guide doesn’t name a fixed venue. The official course map for that year is the one to go by.

Runners who have done the race before tend to know a few things:

• Registration is online through the official site, and Korean-language pages often carry the most detail.
• Bib and packet pickup happens before race day, and the pickup arrangements appear in the official runner information.
• Bag drop and corrals sit near the start, and runners usually get there well before their wave sets off.
• Road closures follow the course for several hours, and buses on affected roads take detours.

Early November: ginkgo season on the route

The date falls at a good moment in the Seoul year. In early November the city’s many ginkgo trees usually turn yellow, and the maples in the parks go red. Mornings are normally cool and dry, which suits a long run more than the humid summer would.

Being cool also means being cold at the start line. Many runners wait in their corral wearing a disposable layer or an old jumper, then throw it off once they get moving. Spectators who stand still on the pavement for hours usually bring a proper jacket.

Cheering from the kerb

You don’t need a bib to enjoy the day. Supporters gather along the course with handmade signs. Running crews often set up their own cheering stations, with flags and loudspeakers.

The shout you will hear most is “Hwaiting!” (화이팅). People use it to mean “you’ve got this”, and runners hear it many times over 42 kilometres. Plenty of spectators watch at two or three points along the route. They move between them on the Seoul Metro, because the trains keep running while the roads above are closed.

Getting around on race morning

On race morning the subway is the most reliable way to get anywhere in Seoul. Roads along the course close to traffic, so taxis and buses near the route slow down or take detours. The Metro carries on as usual underground.

A few habits make the morning easier:

• T-money card: every convenience store sells and tops up these tap cards, and they work on the subway and buses.
• Naver Map or KakaoMap: both give more accurate transit directions in Seoul than Google Maps does.
• Station toilets: subway stations have free public toilets, which help a lot before a race start.

Race-day manners in a Korean field

Big Korean marathons have their own rhythm. Running clubs make up a large part of the field. Groups often warm up together, take group photos in matching kit and run as a pack, so expect clusters on the road, not a scatter of solo runners.

A few customs are worth knowing:

• Corral discipline: runners line up in the wave printed on their bib, and people do notice when someone pushes forward.
• Water stations: runners usually move to the side before slowing down, and they drop cups in the bins or the marked zones instead of in the middle of the road.
• Overtaking: on narrow stretches runners pass on the outside, and a quick “jamkkanman” (잠깐만, “excuse me”) goes down well.
• Finish area: medals, snacks and bag collection follow one route, and volunteers keep the crowd moving through it.

Afterwards: soup, a sauna, and sore legs

After the race, Seoul has good ways to recover. Many runners go straight for a bowl of hot gukbap (rice in broth) or seolleongtang (beef bone soup). Both are cheap and filling, and you’ll find them in nearly every neighbourhood.

Others head to a jjimjilbang, the Korean bathhouse with hot pools and heated rooms. Bathing areas are separated by gender, and guests bathe without swimwear. Everyone showers before getting into the pools. On a cool November afternoon, after 42 kilometres, a hot soak feels very good.