Runners to take on 10km course at Suncheon Bay National Garden

National Garden Challenge Garden Run 10km race

The Suncheon Bay National Garden Challenge Garden Run will bring together runners from across the country Saturday at the national garden in Suncheon.

A total of 500 participants, recruited nationwide in advance, will set off in groups along a 10-kilometer course through the garden's eastern grounds starting at 7 a.m.

Rather than a race focused purely on times, the event is designed to offer what organizers call "running only possible in a garden" — a course winding through flowers, trees, forests and lakes, letting participants take in nature and the season firsthand.

The 10-kilometer route offers an experience hard to find in the city: early morning sunlight across flower petals, a forest path cooled by a breeze and birdsong along the way.

The city has been developing the event as a signature running experience, tapping into the nationwide growth of running culture and positioning the national garden as home to "the most beautiful running course" and "the most special running experience."

"We plan to continue developing diverse running programs tied to seasonal garden scenery and cultural and arts programming, extending visitors' time at the national garden and making it a place that both residents and tourists want to return to," a city official said.

All finishers will receive a completion medal, and top-ranked participants will receive additional prizes. Every participant will also be given a 5,000-won Suncheon Love gift voucher redeemable at local businesses.