24th Sangju Dried Persimmon Marathon 2026 – South Korea

The 24th Sangju Dried Persimmon Marathon (제24회 상주 곶감 마라톤 대회) takes place on Sunday, 15 November 2026 in Sangju, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. This established mass-participation road-running event celebrates the area's famous dried persimmons and offers a broad range of race distances for experienced marathon runners, amateur competitors and families.

Start time, distances and race format

The organiser's updated October 2026 announcement moved the main start to 08:30 Korea Standard Time, rather than the older 09:00 appearing on some event calendars. The advertised gathering time is 07:30, at Sangju Civic Stadium. Recheck the final participant instructions for any distance-specific wave starts and the stadium entry gate.

The four announced distances are a 42.195 km full marathon, 21.0975 km half marathon, 10 km road race, and a 4.4 km short run. The short course is 4.4 km; it appears under the nearest available 4.2K filter, with its actual distance labelled on the entry card.

Published course limits are five hours for the marathon, three hours for the half marathon, two hours for 10 km, and one hour for the 4.4 km run. The full marathon registration conditions require evidence of a recent qualifying half or full marathon performance; the organiser's detailed entry rules govern eligibility and acceptance.

Entry status and fees

New registrations are closed. The organiser initially used capacity-limited rounds, followed by special additional places restricted to Sangju residents in mid-October. A current-edition update dated 17 October 2026 states that no further applications will be accepted even if cancellations occur. The official notice gives 25 October as the deadline for existing entrants' payment, changes or refunds; this is not an invitation for new registrations. Contact the organiser directly if already registered and needing a change.

Advertised baseline registration fees are KRW 50,000 for the marathon, KRW 45,000 each for the half marathon and 10K, and KRW 25,000 for the 4.4K run; the Sangju-resident 4.4K rate was KRW 15,000. Some longer-distance runners paid an additional amount to select a commemorative running jacket. The advertised optional regional gift for longer-distance categories is Sangju dried persimmons or Shine Muscat grapes, with other race-pack variants dependent on registration selection. Finishers receive commemorative medals, and timed 10K, half and full race participants receive online results/certificates under the organiser's conditions.

Race-day planning

Sangju Civic Stadium is the listed event assembly hub. Allow extra travel time for local roads, parking controls and large-field access. The map marker identifies the stadium complex, not a surveyed start gantry. The organiser's 28 October notice states that bibs and souvenirs are scheduled for dispatch from 5 November. Bring any issued gift-exchange voucher to claim the applicable on-site item. Follow the organiser's latest maps for course turns, aid stations and road closures. Runners travelling from outside Sangju should plan an early arrival and check any race-pack pickup or proxy collection rules directly with the Korea Marathon Association.

Official event information and participation status: Korea Marathon Association's 2026 Sangju event.