Running along the Han River and strength training, too... Seoul debuts ‘Han River Gym Run’

[Financial News] A distinctive sporting event combining running and strength training will be held at Jamsil Hangang Park in Seoul. Seoul City said on the 9th that it will hold the ‘Han River Gym Run (GYM RUN)’ on the 21st and 22nd at the swimming pool and gym area of Jamsil Hangang Park.
Gym Run is a hybrid workout combining ‘gym,’ meaning exercise at a gym, and ‘run,’ meaning running. The event is designed to have participants alternate between running and strength training, making use of the Han River’s outdoor exercise facilities and walking paths.
The event will be divided according to participants’ fitness levels into the timed-competition ‘Han River Gym Run’ and the experiential ‘Easy-Paced Gym Run.’
The Han River Gym Run involves running an approximately 1-kilometer course around the Jamsil Nature Learning Center and outdoor swimming pool, then doing strength exercises at the gym, such as sled pushes, rope pulls and leg presses. The sequence is repeated six times in total. Participants will compete in men’s and women’s divisions, with individual times recorded; the estimated duration is about 50 minutes.
For the Easy-Paced Gym Run, the running segment is shortened to 500 meters, and the sequence of alternating running and strength exercises is repeated four times. Participants can go at their own fitness level, with no timed competition; the event takes about 30 minutes.
The event venue will have 15 types of exercise equipment in total, including eight types of strength-training equipment and seven types of functional exercise facilities. Additional activities will include a professional coaching program, a K-pop dance performance, a live DJ set and a commemorative photo area.
Participants can register on the EVENTUS website through the 18th. There will be 200 places each for the Han River Gym Run and the Easy-Paced Gym Run, for a total of 400, and applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. On-site registration may also be offered if any preregistered participants do not show up.
Park Jin-young, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Future Hangang Headquarters, said, “We put together this event to energize citizens worn down by their busy daily lives and make it a special weekend where people of all ages and genders can share healthy fun.” He added, “We will continue to expand a variety of wellness programs so that Han River parks can become attractive places that bring healthy vitality and leisure to everyday life.”

[email protected] Seong Cho-rong Reporter