South Korea Marathons and Races: 2026–2027 Guide
Explore 7 South Korea race-trip picks for 2026–2027, from Seoul and Daegu marathons to Jeju and Busan, with field sizes, entry checks and race links.
South Korea gives you several versions of a running holiday: a spring city marathon, an autumn Seoul start, a Busan weekend or a Jeju island trip. Choose the race first and the sightseeing second. Two events with “Seoul Marathon” in the name can have different organizers, distances and entry rules.
These seven picks show that variety. Information checked on 31 October 2026. Some 2026 races are already full or close to race day; they are ideas to follow, not promises of last-minute places.
Seven Korean races to compare
| Race and linked edition | Race date | Formats in our listing | Published size reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daegu Marathon | 28 February 2027 | Marathon, 10K; check category rules | 41,279 participants across the 2026 programme, not all marathoners |
| Seoul Marathon | 21 March 2027 | Marathon, 10K | About 40,000 expected across the 2026 programme, a prior-edition forecast |
| JTBC Seoul Marathon | 1 November 2026 | Marathon, 10K | Organizer advertises a 30,000-person event |
| MBN Seoul Marathon | 15 November 2026 | Half marathon, 10K | 20,000 half-marathon and 10,000 10K places advertised for 2026 |
| Busan Bridge Marathon | 6 December 2026 | Marathon, 10K | 12,000 places: 5,000 marathon and 7,000 10K |
| Jeju Tangerine International Marathon | 15 November 2026 | Marathon, half, 10K | Comparable current-edition total not verified |
| KMA New Year Winter Marathon | 10 January 2027 | Half, 10K, 5K | Comparable current-edition total not verified |
The figures mix a reported total, a forecast and capacity. They are labelled for scale; this is not a definitive attendance ranking. A full programme’s headcount does not describe the marathon field alone.
Seoul Marathon: read the overseas rules before the race reviews
For a spring race in the capital, start here. The 2027 race is on 21 March. The city’s roughly 40,000-person headline belongs to its 2026 programme, not a confirmed 2027 starter count.
The 2027 overseas marathon route requires an official 4:59:59 or faster net marathon result, dated between 1 January 2024 and 30 November 2026. The 10K has no equivalent qualifying-time requirement. Overseas registration opened on 1 September, but the record-upload deadline of 30 November is not proof that entry remains available.
Read our Seoul Marathon 2027 details, the official overseas notice, record timetable and 2026 city scale reference.
Daegu Marathon: a major spring alternative
Daegu deserves a place on a shortlist that might otherwise begin and end with Seoul. Its official history reports 41,279 participants in 2026, across elite and mass-participation categories. The total is not a full-marathon attendance figure.
AIMS lists 28 February for 2027. The full-marathon application period has ended, and the English entry page shows the shorter-category applications closed. Keep it on the next-window watch list if you do not already have an accepted place. When entry returns, compare the category distance carefully: the 2026 programme included a 10.9K event, which should not be silently relabelled 10K.
See our Daegu Marathon page, the organizer’s history, overseas entry page and AIMS date.
JTBC Seoul Marathon: the autumn city-race wish list
JTBC offers the autumn counterpart to spring Seoul, with marathon and 10K options and an advertised 30,000-person event. They are separate races with separate systems; a spring Seoul account does not automatically solve an autumn application.
The 2026 date is 1 November, immediately after this guide’s check. The foreign-entry page identifies a separate route for overseas participants, but we have not established a purchasable late place. Treat this edition as a reference for the experience and watch for the next announcement. No 2027 date is inferred.
Open our JTBC Seoul Marathon details, the official English site and foreign-entry guidance.
MBN Seoul Marathon: the name hides a shorter choice
MBN’s 2026 programme is a half marathon and 10K, not a full marathon. That makes it interesting if your holiday plans suit a shorter effort. The published half starts at Gwanghwamun and the 10K at Jamsil; book around your own start rather than the event name.
The organizer advertises 20,000 half-marathon and 10,000 10K places. Entry uses RUNIT. Additional-entry notices do not prove spare places, and overseas runners should confirm account, phone, payment and pack arrangements directly.
Compare our MBN Seoul Marathon page with the official event website.
Busan Bridge Marathon: a coastal-city change of scene
If Seoul is familiar, Busan makes a different city-break base. The 6 December event advertises a 12,000-place programme, split between 5,000 marathon and 7,000 10K places, with BEXCO as the event venue.
First-come entry closed early. Do not interpret that as a pending lottery or assume a resale bib is valid. For a later edition, check the full-marathon qualifying-record rules and overseas application arrangements before making a training commitment.
See our Busan Bridge Marathon details and organizer’s notices.
Jeju Tangerine International Marathon: make the island the holiday
Jeju suits runners who want the destination to be more than a city stop. The 2026 event offers marathon, half-marathon and 10K choices at Jocheon Stadium on 15 November. Give the island its own time in your itinerary rather than treating it as an effortless extension to a Seoul race.
The edition is listed as sold out. Its official application guide gives a July-to-September entry period; a live countdown on the website is not evidence of available places. The full and half have age rules separate from the 10K.
Use our Jeju Tangerine Marathon page and the official application guide.
KMA New Year Winter Marathon: a shorter winter challenge
Despite “Marathon” in the event name, the verified 2027 listing contains 5K, 10K and half-marathon categories. It is an option to investigate if you want a January race without a full-marathon build-up. The listed venue is the Geumsan Ginseng Expo parking area; do not assume every Korean race in this guide is in Seoul.
The catalogued entry route is open, but we have not verified an overseas checkout. Confirm accepted identification, payment and pack collection with the organizer before committing to travel. Check the final event instructions for winter conditions and transport.
Start with our KMA Winter Marathon details and official event page.
Before booking a Korean race trip
For Seoul’s spring marathon, arrange the required result certificate and an arrival that allows in-person Expo collection before race day. Its overseas regulations do not offer a general substitute of international bib delivery.
For other races, ask about overseas registration before assuming a domestic app will accept your details. Separate an application, a payment and final acceptance in your planning. Choose a hotel using the actual start and collection locations, and leave the day after a long race flexible.
Compare the South Korea race calendar with our Japan marathon guide if you are choosing between spring race trips.
Photo: Yeouido skyline from Dongjak Bridge, Seoul; destination scenery, not a race route. Ox1997cow / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0. Resized for display.