Healthy in Seoul

Practical advice on running in the city

Running is a sport both loved and loathed. Whether you like it or not, it's a cheap way to stay in shape. Many expats are wary of exercising in Seoul's dirty air. While there are days when no one should run outside, especially during yellow dust storms, Seoul is generally not as dirty as it looks.

A marathon is 42.2 km, a half marathon is 21.2 km and anything less than that does not get to be called a marathon. A 10 km or 5 km race is just that, a race. Anything longer than a marathon is called an ultra-marathon.  Contrary to popular belief, Seoul has some decent running. Namsan has a course that goes around it and for those who are more hardcore, there's another that goes over it, too.

The Han River also has running paths on both the north and south sides, running the length of the city. However, due to construction on the south side, a lot of races have been cancelled recently.

Cindy Heckerl is an American who has lived in Seoul for 12 years and has run here for the last seven. She took first place in the woman's 2007 Beyond the Horizon Ultra Dream," a 63.3 km ultra marathon held in Seoul.

"Don't be afraid to get out and explore the city through running. There are a surprising number of good place to run in Seoul and a large, friendly running community. There are also races almost every weekend in Seoul, from 5 Ks up to ultra marathons." She runs with Smile Run and her favorite places to run are around Namsan and on the Han River.

Park Jong-bin of the running club Smile Run said their goal is for "Koreans and foreigners to share in the great parts of running; fitness, friendship and fun."  He started running in 1999 and became more serious afterward.

He advises that people looking to start running should find out their fitness level, set a realistic goal and learn the running basics. Often people run too hard, too far and too fast, and they end up becoming frustrated, or worse yet injured.  Jang Minos, is the owner of the Runner's Club franchise in Mugyo-dong and is representing Korea in Standard Charter's "Greatest Race on Earth." He will be running in the Mumbai marathon leg of the challenge.

Jang feels that consistency and dedication are the most important traits for a runner to have. To run well, one must log hundreds of hours in training. Having a schedule and following it is of the utmost importance. He trains with the Seoul Marathon club.

For people who like running, but don't want to wake up at the crack of dawn to do it, the Hash House Harriers are a good alternative. Better known as "the hash," it's a self-proclaimed "drinking club with a running problem."  Hashers run all over Seoul. They follow a trial and try to catch the people laying the trial down. Walkers and runners alike enjoy the hash, though parents might want to attend one first without children to decide if the content is child-appropriate.

On any given weekend, there's a race on Saturday or Sunday (and sometimes both) in Seoul. There is no same-day registration here, so register in advance.  Whether you're new to running, or a veteran, it's really important you have the proper shoes. If you have old running shoes, bring them into the store with you so that the staff can look at your wear patterns. Bring the socks you plan to run in with you so you get the perfect fit. When you try on the runners, actually run around the store in them, or on the treadmill if the store has one (better stores usually do). It's best to go running shoe shopping in the late afternoon as your feet will be slightly swollen, similar to how they are when you run. If you wear orthotics, bring those with you, too.

Running is a great way to stay in shape, meet people and see other parts of Seoul.

By Tiffany Candlish

2008.12.11

Posted on www.koreaherald.co.kr