Gyeongju International Marathon Explained

Bgcolour:	0050a9
Date:	Mid-October
Location:	Gyeongju, South Korea
Type:	Road
Distance:	Marathon
Est:	1993/2006
Sponsor:	The Dong-a Ilbo
Record:	Men's: 2:06:46 (2012) Wilson Loyanae Women's: 2:31:21 (2008) Yun Sun-suk

The Gyeongju International Marathon is an annual road running event over the marathon distance (42.195 km) which takes place in mid-October in Gyeongju, South Korea. It gained IAAF Silver Label Road Race status in 2010.^{[1] [2]}

First held in 1993, the event began as an amateur competition for the city's residents and club-level runners. By 1999, over 10,000 runners took part in the day's event on an annual basis.^[3] After an initial incorporation of an international race in the mid-1990s, the race again reverted to being a national Korean competition due to financial constraints. The race was moved to Seoul in 2000 but the Gyeongju marathon re-emerged in 2006 and elite foreign runners returned to the city the following year.^[4]

The competition now features an international elite-level marathon race for both men and women, as well as amateur fun run events over the half marathon, 10K and 5K distances.^[5] The event is one of a series of races in the country (alongside the Baekje Marathon and Seoul International Marathon) which are sponsored by The Dong-a Ilbo, a Korean daily broadsheet.^[6] The competition is one of two annual road running festivals in the city, the other being the Gyeongjyu Cherry Blossom Marathon which is held in April when the trees come into blossom.^[7]

The course of the marathon begins in Hwangseong Park and ends on the running track of the Gyeongju Public Stadium within the park.^[5] The men's course record for the marathon is 2:08:52, which was set by Yemane Tsegay in 2008, while the women's record is held by national runner Yun Sun-suk, whose mark of 2:31:21 was set in 2007.

Past winners

Key:

class=unsortable	Edition	Year	class=unsortable	Men's winner	Time (h:m:s)	class=unsortable	Women's winner	Time (h:m:s)
1st	2007		2:09:44		2:35:53
2nd	2008		2:09:53		2:31:21
3rd	2009		2:08:52		2:46:42
4th	2010		2:09:13		2:32:09
5th^[8]	2011		2:09:23		2:38:21
6th^[9]	2012		2:06:46		2:42:20
7th	2013		2:07:48		2:42:40
8th	2014		2:07:15		2:39:56
9th	2015		2:07:01		2:39:21
10th	2016		2:06:58		2:45:57
11th	2017		2:06:54		2:39:59
12th	2018		2:08:26		2:36:44
13th	2019		2:08:23		2:42:58
	2020	cancelled due to coronavirus outbreak		cancelled due to coronavirus outbreak

External links

• Official website

Notes and References

1. http://www.iaaf.org/lrr10/results/index.html IAAF Road Race Label Events
2. Jalava, Mirko (2010-10-17). Yirdaw takes 2:09:13 victory at Gyeongju International Marathon. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-10-17.
3. http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?biid=2006102599528&path_dir=20061025 2006 Dong-A Marathon Opens in Gyeongju
4. http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?bicode=070000&biid=2007102223288 Kenyan Marathoners Sweep Gyeongju Marathon
5. http://marathon.donga.com/gyeongju/gyeongju_e1.html Dong-A Ilbo 2010 Gyeongju International Marathon Information
6. http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?biid=2007121589218&path_dir=20071215 50-Years-Old Marathoner Seizes Dong-A Best Runner’s Award
7. http://eguide.gj.go.kr/01_travel/gcb_marathon.jsp Gyeongjyu Cherry Blossom Marathon Race
8. Jalava, Mirko (2011-10-16). Loyanai leads Kenyan sweep in Gyeongju. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-10-17.
9. Jalava, Mirko (2012-10-21). Loyanai sizzles 2:06:46 course record in Gyeongju. IAAF. Retrieved on 2012-10-31.