More than 2,500 people took part Sunday in the district mayor's cup athletics marathon; after finishing, the mayor visited a nearby tennis court to hear from sports enthusiasts
Dongdaemun-gu District Mayor Choi Dong-min joined residents Sunday at the 15th Dongdaemun-gu District Mayor's Cup and 9th Federation President's Cup Athletics Marathon, held along the Jungnangcheon waterfront near Jangan 1 Waterfront Park, completing the 5-kilometer course alongside participants.
More than 2,500 residents and recreational sports enthusiasts took part in the event, which was organized by the Dongdaemun-gu Athletics Federation and sponsored by Dongdaemun-gu, the Dongdaemun-gu Sports Council and the Seoul Athletics Federation. Runners competed across three distances: 5 kilometers, 10 kilometers and a half-marathon course.
Choi ran along the Jungnangcheon riverside with participants, cheering on residents throughout the course. Families, colleagues and recreational sports enthusiasts rallied around one another as they pushed toward the finish line.
Seoul Metropolitan Assembly lawmaker Lee Young-nam and Dongdaemun-gu Assembly members Han Ji-yeop, Jeon Beom-il, No Yeon-u, Lee Do-yeon, Park Young-hwa, Yun Sun-ok and Kim Sun-ja also took part, running the 5- or 10-kilometer courses alongside residents and contributing to community exchange through recreational sport.
After finishing the race, Choi visited the tennis courts inside Jangan 1 Waterfront Park to meet with enthusiasts who were in the middle of their games. He encouraged them and listened to their views on grassroots sports. Officials from Dongdaemun-gu and the Dongdaemun-gu Council also expressed gratitude and support to the enthusiasts who consistently stay active and work to promote recreational sports in the community.
"I ran with residents in the hope that this event would highlight the importance of recreational sports — activities anyone can easily take part in as part of daily life — and serve as an opportunity to build a healthier local community," Choi said. "We will continue to support a wide range of recreational sports activities to improve residents' health and quality of life."
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