The Gyeongju Marathon, also known as the Gyeongju International Marathon, is a major autumn road race held in Gyeongju, South Korea, one of the country’s most historically significant cities. Gyeongju was the ancient capital of the Silla Kingdom, and the race’s identity is closely tied to that setting: runners experience a city known for royal tombs, temples, cultural relics, Bomun Lake, and open scenic roads.
The race is connected to Dong-A Ilbo / Dong-A Marathon Office, with the official Gyeongju International Marathon site listing a Seoul office address and marathon@donga.com as the contact email. AIMS also lists Dong-A Ilbo contact details for the race.
The event offers three main race distances: Full Marathon, Half Marathon, and 10K. The official English race rules for the previous edition list the event hub at Gyeongju Civic Stadium / Gyeongju Citizens’ Stadium, with all races starting at 8:00 AM in the order of full course, half course, and 10K. The time limits are strict: 5 hours for the full marathon, 2 hours 30 minutes for the half marathon, and 1 hour 30 minutes for the 10K.
For runners, the Gyeongju Marathon is a strong destination race because it combines road racing with cultural tourism. It is not just a city marathon in a generic urban environment. The surrounding region gives the event a distinctive Korean historical atmosphere, with scenery and landmarks associated with the Silla Dynasty. It is especially attractive for runners who want a serious race format while also visiting one of Korea’s most important heritage cities.
