Notified by text message 14 days before the race: Seoul Open Marathon postponed, refunds available until October 23
The 2026 Seoul Open Marathon announced a schedule change 14 days before the event. A new date has not yet been announced. Refunds close on October 23.
Translated from Korean with AI assistance. Read the original. Sources and original publication dates are retained.
14 days. That is the time between the day the 2026 Seoul Open Marathon organizing committee announced the schedule change and the original race day. The committee announced the postponement on September 21 through a notice on its website and individual text messages, but as of September 25, no new date has been released.
Seoul Open Marathon schedule change announced 2 weeks before the October 5 race
According to a Daily Ahn report and the event's official website, the race was scheduled to be held at 7:30 a.m. on October 5 on a downtown course around Gwanghwamun Square, with two events: the half marathon and the 10km. The per-person entry fees listed on RunJoa, a race information aggregator, are 60,000 won for the 10km and 80,000 won for the half.
The organizing committee said only that it "plans to provide detailed individual guidance to everyone who has registered" about the new schedule and how the event will be run. One participant quoted by Daily Ahn said, "I signed up for this race several months ago, and now, two weeks before it, I get one text message and am expected to just sort it out. It makes me angry."
Seoul Open Marathon refunds close October 23; card refunds take 3-7 days
Refund requests are accepted from September 21 to October 23, a period of 33 days. The refund request instructions notice says participants can apply through the 'Registration → Refund Request' menu on the website, according to their payment method. Per the notice, processing takes 3-7 days for cards and within 5 days for cash payments.
| Date | Schedule |
|---|---|
| September 21 | Schedule change announced; refund requests open |
| October 5 | Original race day |
| October 23 | Refund deadline |
| TBD | New race day |
Keep your registration and get a pre-registration link… carryover terms undecided
Participants who keep their registration instead of taking a refund will receive a pre-registration link first. The organizing committee said it would send this link once the new schedule is confirmed, but it has not said whether registrations will carry over automatically or how any carryover would work. In effect, the refund deadline has been set before the new date.
Dispute over reason for postponement; Seoul city says "purely a private event"
The two sides' explanations of the reason differ. According to Daily Ahn, the organizing committee reportedly cited "strengthened Seoul marathon guidelines and safety issues" to participants, while the Seoul city government reportedly called it "a purely private event" and asked for a correction. Seoul Economic Daily reports that these guidelines apply to races hosted or sponsored by the city.
Whether the guidelines are connected to this postponement has not yet been confirmed by official materials. The website notice gave no reason, saying only "sudden schedule change," and no cancellation of the race has been confirmed. The entry fees also need to be rechecked against the official registration guidelines. The most important number for participants right now is the day the refund window closes: October 23.
Frequently asked questions
Q. When is the new date for the Seoul Open Marathon?
According to official notices, it had not been announced as of September 25, 2026. The organizing committee said it will provide individual guidance on the new schedule and how the event will be run to everyone who registered.
Q. How much is the Seoul Open Marathon entry fee, and how do I get a refund?
RunJoa, a race information aggregator, lists the entry fees as 60,000 won for the 10km and 80,000 won for the half. Since there is only one source, check against your own payment records. Refunds can be requested until October 23 through the 'Registration → Refund Request' menu on the website, according to your payment method.
Q. Is the Jamsugyo 10K Night Run related to this postponement?
The Jamsugyo 10K Night Run is a separate race hosted by Runnable. It starts at Banpo Moonlight Plaza on October 3, and no material has been found linking it to the Seoul Open Marathon.
Related official sites
- Seoul Open Marathon official website — Schedule change notice and registration and refund menus
- Seoul Open Marathon notice: Race schedule change and refund information — Original schedule change text and pre-registration information for those keeping their registration
- Seoul Open Marathon notice: How to request a refund — Refund request procedure by payment method
Featured image · Archival photo · Not an on-site photo of the current event in the article · Photo: Wikimedia Commons (Republic of Korea), CC BY-SA 2.0
Related reading
Wesports Editor · Profile · More articles