Sungwoo Hitech Busan Ocean Marathon 2026

The Sungwoo Hitech Busan Ocean Marathon 2026 is a large coastal road-running event in Busan, South Korea, with places for up to 12,000 participants. Despite the word 'marathon' in its established name, this edition offers 15 km, 10 km and 5 km, not a 42.195 km full marathon. Its distinctive attraction is the opportunity to run on the upper deck of Gwangan Bridge, with expansive views across Busan's waterfront. The race is presented by Busan Ilbo and is separate from the Busan Bridge Marathon scheduled for December.

Course and race morning

Runners assemble at the BEXCO outdoor plaza, beside Exhibition Center 1 in Haeundae, from 7:30 am on Sunday 25 October. The organiser's programme calls for movement towards the Gwangan Bridge start area from 7:50 am. The first flag-off is the 10 km at 8:20 am, followed by the 15 km at 8:40 am and the 5 km at 9:00 am, all in Korea Standard Time. These are separate starts within one event, rather than three independently organised races.

The 15 km category has a 2-hour 20-minute cut-off, the 10 km a 1-hour 40-minute cut-off and the 5 km a 1-hour 20-minute cut-off. Traffic restrictions on the bridge and adjoining roads make these limits particularly important. The 10 km and 15 km are chip-timed, while the recreational 5 km does not use a timing chip. Participants should check the organiser's final course and access instructions before travelling to the assembly area.

Entry and practical planning

The published field limit is 12,000 runners, and registration for this edition is already closed/sold out. Both standard entries and a higher-priced Gold Studio package were advertised. Race entitlements include an event shirt and bib, with a medal and refreshments at the finish; the timed categories also receive timing chips. Souvenir dispatch was scheduled to begin around 16 October, subject to change, rather than a confirmed in-person race-pack expo.

For visiting runners, the BEXCO/Haeundae area is a practical base, but allow extra time on race morning: gathering at BEXCO is not the same as standing at the bridge start line. Use the latest organiser transport notices rather than assuming normal road or taxi access during closures. The BEXCO map point identifies the assembly complex, not an independently surveyed bridge start-line position.