Seoul's Weekly Parkruns Draw Hundreds to Riverside Parks

Seoul's parkrun network recorded 3,200 finishes across its 12 city events last Saturday, up from 2,100 the same weekend in 2025. Runners met at 9 a.m. sharp at marked start lines along the Han River and inside several district parks.

The increase tracks with local health data released last month by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, which showed a 14 percent rise in adults meeting the weekly 150-minute activity target. Parkrun fits that guideline in one timed session and costs nothing beyond the optional barcode printed at home.

Two standout routes this month

Yeouido Hangang Park hosts the largest gathering. Participants line up on the grass strip between Yeouiseo-ro and the river, then follow the 5k loop that crosses the Seogang Bridge pedestrian path and returns along the bicycle lane. The course stays flat and shaded in the early morning. Volunteers set up the finish funnel near the Yeouido Saetgang Ecological Park entrance.

Further east, Seoul Forest in Seongdong-gu offers a different surface mix. The route starts near the main gate on Ttukseom-ro 6-gil, runs two loops through the pine trails and along the small stream, then finishes on the lawn beside the visitor centre. Average times here run about 90 seconds slower than Yeouido because of the gentle inclines and gravel sections.

Both locations supply timing chips and results uploaded the same afternoon to the parkrun Korea site. New runners register once with a free barcode that works at every event nationwide.

Choosing the nearest option

Residents in Mapo-gu or Yongsan-gu reach Yeouido in under 20 minutes by subway line 9 or the ferry from Ichon Hangang Park. Those in Gangnam or Songpa districts find Seoul Forest quicker via Ttukseom Station on line 2. A third option, the smaller Namsan parkrun, meets at the foot of the cable-car station on Namsan-gil every Saturday but caps at 180 participants because of the steeper course.

Event pages list exact meeting points and any temporary closures due to construction or heavy rain. Runners are asked to arrive by 8:45 a.m. for the safety briefing. Water is available at the finish, though participants carry their own bottles during the run.

Next Saturday, check the parkrun app for the closest barcode scan point and current weather advisory before heading out.