The 26th Nam Seung-ryong Marathon will be held Saturday at Palma Comprehensive Stadium in Suncheon, with reusable cups and dining containers provided to cut single-use plastic waste.

A file photo of the Suncheon Nam Seung-ryong Marathon. [Suncheon City Sports Council]
A file photo of the Suncheon Nam Seung-ryong Marathon. [Suncheon City Sports Council]

The 26th Suncheon Nam Seung-ryong Marathon, honoring the first-generation marathoner who won a bronze medal at the 1936 Berlin Olympics during Japan's colonial rule of Korea, will be held Saturday at Palma Comprehensive Stadium in Yeonhyang-dong and across Suncheon.

About 8,000 runners and officials from across the country are expected to participate, according to the marathon's organizing committee. The event will feature four categories: the full 42.195-kilometer course, a half-marathon (21 kilometers), and beginner-friendly 10-kilometer and 5-kilometer races.

The full-course route runs from Palma Comprehensive Stadium through the Yeonhyang District 3 Ecological and Cultural Education Center, Eco Village, the Clean Water Management Center and Suncheon Bay Wetlands, before looping back from Hwapo Port in Byeollyang-myeon.

The half-marathon follows the same path as far as Suncheon Bay Wetlands, where runners turn around and head back to the stadium.

The 10-kilometer course goes from Palma Comprehensive Stadium along Namseungnyong-ro to Ocheon Intersection, Eoulim Gymnasium and the base of Pungdeok Bridge, while the 5-kilometer course loops from the stadium through the Ecological and Cultural Education Center to the National Garden inline skating rink.

The city will supply reusable cups at drink stations along the 5-kilometer course and provide reusable containers for the post-race meal, as part of an effort to reduce single-use plastics and promote a no-plastic culture.

Nam Seung-ryong competed alongside Son Ki-jung at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, where Son took gold and Nam claimed bronze, stirring national pride during the Japanese colonial period. His hometown of Suncheon has held an autumn marathon in his honor every year since 2001.


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