Seoul opens registrations for annual triathlon event at Han River

Regular registration for the annual three-day public triathlon in Seoul is open, announced the city government on Monday. 

The My Pace Hangang Triathlon Festival is set to run from May 30 to June 1 around Ttukseom Hangang Park in Gwangjin District, eastern Seoul. 

Sign-ups are limited to 20,000 people on a first-come, first-serve basis on the local portal Naver. Foreigners can register for the event through triple.global. 

The standard entry fee per person is 30,000 won ($21).

The Seoul Metropolitan Government added that the first 200 locals who sign up with a foreigner, an option available on Naver Reservations, will be offered Han River merchandise, including a picnic blanket and a water bottle, as well as a free pass to experience water sports on the river.  

My Pace Hangang Triathlon Festival, in its second edition this year, includes swimming, cycling and running.

Participants can choose between a beginner's course and an advanced course: either a 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) or 20 kilometers for cycling; and 5 kilometers or 10 kilometers for running. 

"We are planning to introduce more diverse programs to establish the My Pace Hangang Triathlon Festival, which is celebrating its second year, as Seoul's representative sports and health festival,” said Koo Jong-won, director of Seoul's Tourism and Sports Bureau. ”In particular, we ask for the interest and participation of  non-Koreans as there will be events with foreign friends." 

BY LEE JIAN [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]