Co-hosted by Herald Media Group and Sejong City
Two courses — 10.9 km and 5.15 km — set for Friday in Sejong
Record 15,000 participants expected for centennial edition
Virtual Hangul Run tickets available on KakaoTalk Gift
The 2026 Hangul Run will be held in Sejong Special Autonomous City on Friday, marking the 100th anniversary of the designation of Hangul Day.
Co-hosted by Sejong Special Autonomous City and Herald Media Group — publisher of The Herald Business and The Korea Herald — the event is expected to draw 15,000 participants, the largest turnout in the run's history.
National arboretum stretch added to course for first time
The race will offer two courses: a 10.9-kilometer route symbolizing Hangul Day (Oct. 9) and a 5.15-kilometer route commemorating the birthday of King Sejong the Great on May 15. Runners will pass through major landmarks in Sejong, taking in the scenery of the city known as a hub of hangul culture while reflecting on the significance of the holiday.
This year, a section through the National Sejong Arboretum has been added to the course for the first time. Start groups will also be divided by expected pace to ease congestion at the starting area.
Participants will receive a North Face running T-shirt, running socks and a running belt, along with a combined admission ticket to the National Sejong Arboretum. The finisher's medal has been newly designed to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Hangul Day.
The theme of this year's Hangul Run is "Samoochida — Hangul Reaches People," drawing on a Middle Korean word that goes beyond its dictionary meaning of "to pierce" or "to penetrate" to convey the contextual sense found in classical texts of hearts connecting deeply — communicating and becoming one. The theme reinterprets that value through a contemporary lens.
The opening ceremony will feature a warm-up and stretching session led by singer Kim Chang-yeol and comedian Kim Hye-seon. After the race, a celebratory concert will follow with performances by Maseonho & Natural All Stars, Shawn, At Heart and Seodo Band.
Participants can continue celebrating Hangul Day in Sejong after the run. An air show by the Republic of Korea Air Force aerobatic team Black Eagles is scheduled for Friday. From Friday through Sunday, the Sejong Lake Park and Sejong Central Park area will host the 2026 Sejong Hangul Festival, a hangul product fair and the Sejong Hangul Sulseul Festival, offering performances, hands-on activities, and exhibition and sales programs.
Herald Media Group and Sejong City co-hosted the inaugural Sejong Hangul Grand Championship and the 2024 Hangul Run in 2024, and again co-hosted the 2025 Hangul Run last year. The two organizations had earlier signed an MOU on completing Sejong as a hangul cultural city and globalizing hangul culture, and have since cooperated on promotional efforts and joint projects to spread hangul culture.
'Virtual Hangul Run' lets runners join from anywhere in the world
Herald Media Group is launching the 2026 Virtual Hangul Run, with participation tickets sold through KakaoTalk Gift, to broaden access to this year's event. The new program is designed for runners who cannot make it to Sejong in person, allowing them to run freely from wherever they are and share in the spirit of Hangul Day.
Virtual Hangul Run tickets will go on sale at noon Friday through KakaoTalk Gift.
Participants can join by running a course of their choice at a location of their choice, then posting a verification photo of their run and route on SNS. The program moves away from competing on time or distance alone, placing value instead on participants enjoying Hangul Day on their own "special course, special place" of their own design.
A separate special event will be held based on participants' verification posts, with prizes including running shoes, a running watch and T-shirts to be awarded to standout participants.
"For the 100th anniversary of Hangul Day, we have prepared this year's Hangul Run as a festival where more citizens and runners can share in the meaning of hangul together," a Herald Media Group official said. "We hope that not only those running with us in Sejong, but also people anywhere in the world who enjoy Hangul Day through the Virtual Hangul Run, will help the value of hangul reach even more people."
Further details are available on the official Hangul Run website, Instagram and KakaoTalk Gift channel.
realbighead@heraldcorp.com
