Gunsan Saemangeum International Marathon

The Gunsan Saemangeum International Marathon is an annual World Athletics-recognized road race held each spring in Gunsan, on South Korea's western coast in Jeollabuk-do. Organized by the Gunsan City Athletic Association, the event reached its 20th edition in 2026, drawing roughly 12,000 runners from nine countries to the Gunsan Wolmyeong Comprehensive Sports Complex. The flat, fast course runs along the Saemangeum seawall, giving runners open views of the Yellow Sea alongside the city skyline, and the race is popular locally as a cherry-blossom-season event. In addition to the full marathon, the event offers a two-person Half & Half relay in which each runner covers roughly half the marathon distance, plus a 10km and a 5km. The Gunsan Saemangeum International Marathon is one of only three Korean marathons, alongside the Seoul Marathon and the Daegu Marathon, to hold World Athletics label certification. The 2026 edition was completed on April 5, 2026, when Isaac Kipkemboi Too of Kenya set a new course record of 2:07:15 in the international men's elite race.