148km, 5300 Runners… TransJeju Schedule and Courses, Starting at 9 p.m. on October 2

About 5,300 people from 53 countries are gathering in Seogwipo. TransJeju by UTMB kicks off with a 148km race on the night of October 2. Here are the distances, start times and Running Stones for each event.

Translated from Korean with AI assistance. Read the original. Sources and original publication dates are retained.

"We expect more than 8000 people, including athletes and accompanying family members, to stay an average of 5-6 days and give a solid boost to local businesses and the lodging and tourism industries." That is what a Seogwipo City official said. At 9 p.m. on October 2, this year's longest race, 148km, is scheduled to set off into the dark from Jeju World Cup Stadium.

Headline Jeju reported that Seogwipo City announced on September 29 that this year's event will draw about 5,300 participants from 53 countries. Of these, about 1,500 are foreigners, roughly 28% of the total. The whole event, from registration to the awards ceremony, runs for four days, from October 1 to 4, across the Seogwipo area.

TransJeju Course Distances: 4 Events, from 148km to 20km

The distances are reported inconsistently from the start. Domestic reports based on Seogwipo City's announcement gave them as 150, 100, 60 and 20km. The official UTMB event page lists Jeju100M as 148km and Jeju100K as 104km. The figures in domestic reports are rounded values. A 100K runner has to cover 4km more than has been reported.

Official Distance and Start Time by Event

Event	Official distance (km)	Reported distance (km)	Elevation gain (m)	Start date, time and location	Time limit	Running Stones
Jeju100M	148	150	5,000+	October 2, 21:00 · Jeju World Cup Stadium	37 hours	4
Jeju100K	104	100	4,000+	October 3, 05:00 · Jeju World Cup Stadium	29 hours	3
Jeju60K	60	60	1,400+	October 3	—	—
Jeju20K	20	20	508+	October 3, 10:00 · Gasiri	4 hours	1

The 100M has an elevation gain of 5,000m+, about 10 times that of the 20K (508m+). The course director is reportedly Ahn Byeong-sik, who has finished the UTMB 100-mile race 4 times.

TransJeju Field Size: 5300 Runners from 53 Countries… Up 1300 in Two Years

Participation Trend by Year

Year	Participants (approx.)	Countries	Change from previous year
2024	4,000	—	—
2025	4,900	44 countries	+900 (+22.5%)
2026	5,300	53 countries	+400 (+8.2%)

Jigeum Jeju's report from last year and Seogwipo City's announcement this year together show that participation has set an all-time high for the third year in a row. The field grew by 1,300, from about 4,000 in 2024 to about 5,300 this year. The pace of growth has slowed. The field grew by 900 last year but by 400 this year, so the growth rate fell from 22.5% to 8.2%.

Meanwhile, the number of participating countries rose by 9, from 44 to 53. This is a year in which nationalities have diversified faster than headcount. The same pattern shows up against the projections. In August, BBS Buddhist Broadcasting reported "47 countries and 5,500 people expected," but in the September announcement the number of countries was up by 6 and the headcount was down by 200. This article uses the figures from the latest announcement, on September 29.

TransJeju: 4 Running Stones, 8000 Visitors, Registration at the World Cup Stadium

TransJeju is the only UTMB World Series event in Korea. Finishers receive Running Stones: the 100M awards 4, the 100K awards 3 and the 20K awards 1. The more Running Stones a runner has, the better their odds in the draw for the UTMB finals in Chamonix, France. This year is the second for the 100-mile event. At last year's inaugural race, Ko Min-cheol (Team Hoka) won the men's division in 16 hours 55 minutes 51 seconds.

On-site activity is concentrated at Jeju World Cup Stadium. Newsfreezone and other outlets report that bib pickup and the running gear expo will be held at the stadium on October 1-2. The opening ceremony is reported to be at 7:30 p.m. on the 2nd, 90 minutes before the 100M start. The awards ceremony is said to be at 10 a.m. on the 4th, and since the 20K starts from Gasiri, runners should check that route separately.

Seogwipo City projects that athletes and accompanying family members, more than 8,000 people, will stay an average of 5-6 days. Seogwipo City named safety management and expanded facilities as challenges for the largest event in its history.

The event has not yet begun. If a typhoon or heavy rain arrives, the course or schedule may change, so it is best to check the official website's notices again before the start. Seogwipo City has described the event this way: "The TransJeju event is Seogwipo's signature global event, combining sports with pristine nature."

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. When does the TransJeju 100M start?

It starts at 9 p.m. on October 2 at Jeju World Cup Stadium, with a time limit of 37 hours. The official distance is 148km, and the elevation gain is 5,000m+.

Q. How many Running Stones does each TransJeju event award?

For finishers, the 100M awards 4, the 100K awards 3 and the 20K awards 1. The more Running Stones a runner has, the better their odds in the Chamonix UTMB finals draw.

Q. Where do I pick up my TransJeju bib?

Athlete registration (bib pickup) and the running gear expo are held together at Jeju World Cup Stadium on October 1-2.

Related Official Sites

TransJeju by UTMB Official Website — official event information
TransJeju by UTMB Jeju100M Official Event Page — 148km course, start time and time limit information
TransJeju by UTMB Jeju100K Official Event Page — 104km course and registration location information

Representative image · Archival photo · Not a photo of the current event in the article · Photo: Wikimedia Commons (Dan820526), CC BY-SA 3.0