[COVER STORY] Marathons at city centers inconvenience residents

Marathons in Seoul are causing growing inconvenience for residents and businesses as large citywide races close roads, disrupt buses and delay logistics. The Seoul DongA Marathon drew about 40,000 runners from Gwanghwamun Square to Jamsil Sports Complex on March 15, with traffic controls lasting until 2:30 p.m. Similar complaints have also risen as marathon events proliferate nationwide. Merchants and residents say the closures hurt sales, block access and sometimes trap people inside neighborhoods.

About 40,000 runners took part in the Seoul DongA Marathon on March 15.

The race started at 5 a.m. from Gwanghwamun Square and finished at Jamsil Sports Complex in Songpa District.

Police deployed forces from multiple districts, including Jongno, Hyehwa-dong, Namdaemun Market, Jung, Dongdaemun Market, Seongdong, Gwangjin, Songpa and Suseo-dong, to manage traffic.

Seoul had over 140 marathons last year, 350 more in other parts of the country and more than 540 events completed or scheduled nationwide this year.

About 45 marathons are held each month on average, and roughly 80 percent take place in spring or autumn.

Published Sep 10, 2026 1:54 pm KST

Events aim to promote public health but bring criticism from businesses, residents for blocking roads

Participants of a marathon event cross the road as car lanes are blocked off in the Gwanghwamun area of central Seoul in this Nov. 23, 2025 photo. Korea Times file

Approximately 40,000 runners participated in the Seoul DongA Marathon on March 15. The race began on a Sunday morning at 5 a.m., starting from Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul and stretching to Jamsil Sports Complex in the city's southeastern Songpa District. The annual marathon was hosted by a major newspaper company together with the Seoul Metropolitan Government, and the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency approved the race and its path.

Police took charge of traffic control during the race, deploying forces from Jongno District, Hyehwa-dong, Namdaemun Market, Jung District, Dongdaemun Market, Seongdong District, Gwangjin District, Songpa District and Suseo-dong. Traffic controls were imposed and lifted at different times to allow for the passage of runners through each area. Controls around the Jamsil section were lifted at 2:30 p.m., nearly 10 hours after the first were imposed at the start of the race.

While the participants were running across the city to cheers from onlookers, others were complaining. The event caused massive traffic issues across the city as vehicles were forced to take detours. Hundreds of public bus routes crossing or overlapping the race course were temporarily closed or had to use alternate routes, forcing many residents to use subways or taxis, increasing congestion and disrupting people's daily lives.

A similar problem emerged in November last year when the JTBC Seoul Marathon, another large-scale, citywide event, saw 34,000 runners go from World Cup Park in the city's western Mapo District to Olympic Park in Songpa District. Mapo Agricultural & Marine Products Market, less than 100 meters from the starting point, saw vendors lose business from traffic control measures that blocked customers' entry to the marketplace and prevented deliveries by suppliers.

A vehicle takes a detour as lanes are blocked to provide a course for the 2026 World Masters Athletics Championships half marathon in Daegu, Aug. 30. Yonhap

“Sunday morning is peak time for us, when we can net the highest sales of the week. When customers and even our suppliers cannot get into the marketplace, what are we supposed to do? I’m tired of these marathons, which take place so many times a year that I cannot even count,” a merchant at the marketplace said.

A delivery truck driver who had completed one of his early morning rounds and was on his way to the company’s logistics center for the next set of deliveries discovered he and his truck were surrounded by the fenced-off race course. “I was literally locked out in the middle of the road and wasn't able to return to the logistics center. My delivery schedule was all messed up and I made almost no earnings on the day,” the driver complained.

Marathons often affect residential areas as well. During the JTBC marathon, a resident of an apartment in Songpa District's Jamsil-dong planned to drive to Suseo Station to pick up her parents. The race blocked the apartment’s main entrance, giving her no other option but to walk more than 5 kilometers to the station.

A resident at the Olympic Village apartment complex in Songpa District's Oryun-dong also complained that the 5,540 households living in the complex were entirely surrounded by the race and were effectively trapped. “So we cannot leave the apartments during the marathon? I couldn’t find a single point to drive out of the complex. We were literally imprisoned on an island, cut off from traffic,” he said.

A signboard indicates temporary road closures near Jamsil Sports Complex in southeastern Seoul's Songpa District, Nov. 6, 2016, during the 2016 JoongAng Seoul Marathon. Newsis

Complaints are mounting over marathons not just in Seoul but in cities across the nation. Despite their positive impact on the health of participants, marathons disrupt local businesses and the daily lives of residents who live in the vicinity.

The complaints are on the rise as marathons increase in popularity in Korea. Running has become a nationwide trend, with over 140 marathons held in Seoul last year and 350 more in other locations around the country. This year, over 540 events have been either completed or scheduled nationwide.

Including shorter races of 5 kilometers, 10 kilometers and half marathons hosted by local governments, global sports brands, companies and sports agencies under the purview of local governments and private marathon associations, there are now an average of 45 marathons being hosted each month. About 80 percent of them are held in spring, between March and May, or in autumn between September and November. On some weekends, there can be up to 20 marathons held on a single day.

Merchants stage a protest at Mapo Agricultural & Marine Products Market in western Seoul's Mapo District, April 21, 2025, demanding suspension of marathons and other athletic events that block entry to the market. Newsis

The flood of marathons and shorter runs is creating mobility problems for residents including increased traffic congestion, crowding on subways and alternative transportation, detours and closures for bus routes and sometimes the inability to get around at all. For businesses, traffic control limits their operations by affecting accessibility for customers and logistics workers. Emergency services including fire trucks and ambulances can face critical delays from road closures.

Merchants from the Mapo Agricultural & Marine Products Market staged a protest in front of the market to demand a suspension of future marathons in April 2025. They wanted the city to create stronger limits on athletic events using public roads and to introduce a public-private discussion body to oversee future events.

“Countless marathons are being held, undermining the livelihoods of market merchants. A recent event completely blocked the market entrance, which we've never seen before,” said Jeong Yang-ho, a representative from the market.

“Twenty-two athletic events were held at World Cup Park in the first half of the year. Excluding the winter season, most of the events happen between April and June. During that period, races are held almost every weekend, creating significant difficulties for operations of the market merchants.”

Participants in a marathon celebrating National Liberation Day run near the Han River in Seoul, Aug. 15, 2024. Newsis

首尔马拉松赛事给居民和商家带来日益严重的困扰，大型城市赛事导致道路封闭、公交中断、物流延误。3月15日，首尔东亚马拉松吸引了约4万名跑者，从光化门广场跑到蚕室体育馆，交通管制一直持续到下午2点半。随着马拉松赛事在全国范围内的增多，类似的抱怨也越来越多。商家和居民表示，道路封闭影响了销售，阻碍了交通，有时甚至导致人们被困在街区内。

3月15日，约有4万名跑者参加了首尔东亚马拉松。

比赛于早上 5 点从光化门广场出发，终点位于松坡区蚕室体育中心。

警方从钟路、惠化洞、南大门市场、中区、东大门市场、城洞、广津、松坡、水西洞等多个地区调集警力，疏导交通。

去年首尔举办了 140 多场马拉松比赛，韩国其他地区举办了 350 多场，今年全国已完成或计划举办的赛事超过 540 场。

平均每月举办约 45 场马拉松比赛，其中约 80% 在春季或秋季举行。

发布于2026年9月10日下午1:54（韩国标准时间）

活动旨在促进公众健康，但却因阻塞道路而遭到企业和居民的批评。

这张摄于2025年11月23日的照片显示，在首尔市中心光化门地区，马拉松比赛的参赛者们正在过马路，因为车道已被封锁。（韩国时报档案照片）

3月15日，约有4万名跑者参加了首尔东亚马拉松。比赛于周日清晨5点鸣枪开跑，起点位于首尔市中心的亮化门广场，终点位于首尔东南部的松坡区蚕室体育中心。这项年度马拉松赛事由一家大型报业公司与首尔市政府联合主办，并经首尔地方警察厅批准。

比赛期间，警方负责交通管制，警力部署在钟路区、惠化洞、南大门市场、中区、东大门市场、城东区、广津区、松坡区和水西洞等地。为了方便跑者通过各个区域，交通管制措施分时段实施和解除。蚕室路段的交通管制于下午2点30分解除，距离比赛开始时实施的首次管制已过去近10个小时。

当参赛者在围观者的欢呼声中穿越城市时，也有人抱怨连连。由于车辆被迫绕行，这项赛事造成了全市严重的交通拥堵。数百条穿越或与赛道重叠的公交线路被迫暂时关闭或改道，迫使许多居民改乘地铁或出租车，加剧了交通拥堵，扰乱了人们的日常生活。

去年11月，JTBC首尔马拉松也出现了类似的问题。这场大型城市赛事共有34000名跑者，从首尔西部麻浦区的世界杯公园出发，终点设在松坡区的奥林匹克公园。距离起点不到100米的麻浦农海产品市场，由于交通管制措施阻碍了顾客进入市场，也妨碍了供应商的送货，导致商贩生意受损。

8月30日，在韩国大邱，为筹备2026年世界田径大师赛半程马拉松比赛，部分车道被封闭，一辆汽车被迫绕行。（韩联社）

“周日早上是我们生意最火爆的时候，也是一周中销售额最高的时段。如果顾客甚至供应商都进不来市场，我们该怎么办？这种马拉松式的集市真是让我厌烦透了，一年要办好几次，我都数不清了。”一位市场商户说道。

一名送货司机清晨完成一趟送货后，正前往公司物流中心准备进行下一趟送货，却发现自己和卡车被赛道围栏包围了。“我被困在路中间，根本回不了物流中心。我的送货计划全被打乱了，当天几乎没赚到什么钱。”司机抱怨道。

马拉松比赛往往也会对居民区造成影响。在JTBC马拉松比赛期间，松坡区蚕室洞一栋公寓的居民原本计划开车去水西站接父母。但比赛导致公寓大门被堵住，她别无选择，只能步行5公里多才能到达车站。

松坡区五云洞奥运村公寓的一位居民也抱怨说，小区内5540户居民完全被马拉松比赛包围，实际上被困住了。“马拉松期间我们不能离开公寓吗？我找不到任何可以开车离开小区的地方。我们简直就像被囚禁在一个孤岛上，与世隔绝。”他说。

2016年11月6日，在首尔东南部松坡区蚕室体育中心附近，一块路牌显示道路临时封闭，当时正值2016年中央首尔马拉松比赛期间。（Newsis）

不仅在首尔，全国各地的城市都出现了越来越多的关于马拉松的投诉。尽管马拉松对参赛者的健康有益，但它也会扰乱当地商业活动和附近居民的日常生活。

随着马拉松在韩国越来越受欢迎，相关的投诉也随之增加。跑步已成为一项全国性的运动，去年首尔举办了超过140场马拉松，全国其他地区也举办了350多场。今年，全国范围内已举办或计划举办的马拉松赛事超过540场。

包括地方政府、全球体育品牌、公司、受地方政府管辖的体育机构以及私人马拉松协会举办的5公里、10公里和半程马拉松等短距离赛事在内，目前平均每月举办45场马拉松比赛。其中约80%的比赛集中在春季（3月至5月）或秋季（9月至11月）。在某些周末，一天之内甚至可能举办多达20场马拉松比赛。

2025年4月21日，首尔西部麻浦区麻浦农海产品市场，商户举行抗议活动，要求暂停马拉松和其他会阻碍市场入口的体育赛事。（Newsis）

马拉松和短距离跑步赛事的激增给居民出行带来了诸多问题，包括交通拥堵加剧、地铁和替代交通工具拥挤、公交线路改道或封闭，有时甚至完全无法出行。对于企业而言，交通管制影响了顾客和物流人员的通行，从而限制了其运营。道路封闭也可能导致消防车和救护车等紧急服务车辆严重延误。

麻浦农海产品市场的商户们在市场前举行抗议活动，要求暂停2025年4月举行的马拉松比赛。他们希望市政府加强对使用公共道路举办体育赛事的限制，并引入公私合作的讨论机构来监督未来的赛事。

“马拉松比赛层出不穷，严重影响了市场商贩的生计。最近一次比赛甚至完全堵塞了市场入口，这种情况我们以前从未见过，”市场代表郑阳浩说道。

“今年上半年，世界杯公园共举办了22场体育赛事。除冬季赛事外，大部分赛事都集中在4月至6月之间。在此期间，几乎每个周末都有比赛，给市场商贩的经营造成了很大的困难。”

2024年8月15日，在首尔汉江附近举行的庆祝光复节马拉松比赛中，参赛者们正在奔跑。（图片来源：Newsis）