'Korea's most beautiful course' start time delayed to allow for
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Gyeongju International Marathon 2023 starts tomorrow
Marathon Masters to start at 8 a.m., one hour earlier than previously scheduled for 9,000 participants
Yuri Channel A, Samsung and Kia to 'cooperate live broadcast' due to low temperatures in the second half of the raceParticipants of the Gyeongju International Marathon Masters run in front of Cheomseongdae last year. Participants in the Gyeongju Marathon will run past Cheomseongdae, Donggung Palace, Wolji Temple, Bonghwangdae, Cheonmachong, Daereungwon, and other UNESCO World Heritage Sites that preserve the beauty of the race. More than 9,000 runners are expected to take part in this year's race on the 21st.
The 2023 Dong-A Ilbo Gyeongju International Marathon will be held at 8 a.m. on the 21st to enjoy the fall colors of the 'City with History' race. The start time, which was 9 a.m. on Sunday until last year, was changed to 8 a.m. on Saturday this year. The race organizers adjusted the schedule so that participants could finish the race with a good record and have time to explore the race area until Sunday. The 9 a.m. start time was not without its challenges, with temperatures exceeding 20 degrees at the end of the race.
The Gyeongju International Marathon is known among marathon enthusiasts as "the most beautiful marathon on the most beautiful course in Korea. This year, runners started at Gyeongju Civic Sports Complex and ran through UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as Cheomseongdae, Donggung Palace, Wolji, Bonghwangdae, Cheonmachong, and Daereungwon, as well as the Pink Mulberry Colony, which has become a specialty of the 'Autumn Race,' before returning to Gyeongju Civic Sports Complex. Among the participants of the event, which is divided into a full course, half course, 10 km course, and 5 km course, 32.8% were in their 30s, followed by 28.8% in their 40s, 17.3% in their 50s, and 8.9% in their 20s. Participants in the March Seoul Marathon and Dongama Marathon who completed the Gongju Baekje Marathon last month and this race will receive a commemorative 'Runners' medal.
In the international elite category, Evans Kipkoech Korir (36-KEN) will be looking to make it two in a row. Korir won last year's event in 2:09:57. If Korir wins, he will join Phyllis Kipchartchir Kiprotich (36-KEN) and Kennedy Kiprop Cheboror (33-KEN) as the only runners to win back-to-back titles in three consecutive events. 'Rookie of the Year' Timothy Kipkorir (26-KEN) will be the favorite to end Korir's winning streak. Kipkorir finished sixth in 2:12:26 at last year's race, his first full marathon. He followed that up with a runner-up finish at the Milan Marathon in April in 2:07:53 and will be looking for his first international victory. Evans Sambu (30-KEN) is another favorite. Sambu lowered his personal best to 2:07:43 at last year's Barcelona Marathon.
Channel A will broadcast the race live from 7:30 a.m. on the 21st in partnership with Samsung Electronics and Kia. Channel A will broadcast about 15 kilometers of the 42.195-kilometer full course using 10 Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra phones instead of broadcast cameras. "By utilizing the Galaxy's Super Steady (image stabilization) function, we will be able to deliver a steady picture, and the Super Slow Motion and Zoom functions will allow us to convey dynamic scenes in a different way," said Channel A. Kia is also supporting the EV9, which features a "swivel seat" that can rotate 180 degrees, as a broadcast vehicle. "Thanks to the swivel seat, there is plenty of interior space even when carrying relay equipment, and it also has a V2L (Vehicle to Load) function that supplies 220V general power from the inside, making it possible to replace existing relay vehicles," Channel A said. 19가이드03