Deadline nears for JoongAng Marathon

Perhaps no other sport has as vivid an origin as the marathon. More than 2,000 years after Phidippides ran to Athens to announce a victory for the Greeks over the Persians at Marathon, the world continues to pay tribute to the spirit of the human run.
The 2003 JoongAng Seoul International Marathon, is set for Nov. 2. Registration ends tomorrow.
This year the marathon will include team competition for the first time, whereby regional and online/offline clubs can compete with each other.
The event features two divisions -- the marathon (42.1 kilometers, 26 miles, 385 yards) and a 10 kilometer run. A half-marathon has been eliminated this year.
The marathon will be divided into elite and masters divisions, the latter for those over 18.
Participants must finish the marathon within five hours or be disqualified.
The 10K allows runners 6 years of age to compete. All participants in this year’s marathon and 10K will receive a completion medal, a long-sleeve shirt and a certificate.
The first three finishers in each race will receive medals and prize money from the sponsors.
The marathon course will begin at the four-way intersection near Jamsil Main Stadium. It will head on to Jamsil Station, Suseo Station, Segok-dong, Siheung, Pangyo, Seongnam and then, following a similar route, return to Jamsil Stadium.
The entry fee is 40,000 won ($33) for the marathon, 35,000 won for the 10K.
Those who register at the Marathon Expo, to be held Oct. 26-28 at the Seoul Trade Exhibition Center, will receive a 5,000 won discount.
All registrations and payments must be done through marathon.joins.com.
For anyone interested in group registrations, one participant is permitted to sign up for up to 10 runners.
For more information, call (02) 751-9680.

by Choi Jie-ho