If You Want To Run In Seoul Where All...

Seoul, South Korea

If you want to run in Seoul where all the Koreans run (and walk), then you have to go to the Olympic Park. You can easily reach the Olympic Park by taking the subway (line number 5, station P550). Just make sure, when you get at the transfer point of Gangdong, that the train you are on goes towards Macheon and not towards Sangil-dong. You can start running as you pass the main gate where a detailed photographic map is located. You will see lots of runners and many women speedwalking, but the park is also open to those who walk their dog or practice other sports. The best loop is the one constituted by the walls of the Mong-chon Fortress. This earthen wall is said to date from the Baekje Kingdom (18 bC - 660 aD) and it has been recently restored based on the knowledge gained through the excavations for the constructions of these 1988 Olympic facilities. The wall follows the natural contour of the land by the shore of a tributary of the Han river, and the fuction of the fortress was to protect from invasions from the north. Today, on the fortress walls, there is a nice green path that could be challenging for the runners because of existing sets of stairs but it is definitely worth it especially at dusk, when most of the runners and walkers seems to be out there for their workouts.