Daegu to Host National New Year's Naked Marathon Competition

Naked Marathon (Photo by Daegu City Hall)

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Yushin] The 2020 National New Year's Naked Marathon will be held on the 5th around Duryu Park in Dalseo-gu, Daegu.

According to Daegu City on the 2nd, this event, with a record number of 1,088 club members participating, aims to energetically start the year with New Year's wishes. The opening ceremony will be held at 9:30 a.m. at Duryu Baseball Stadium, followed by running the course around Duryu Park. On the day of the event, vehicle traffic on roads around Duryu Park will be partially restricted from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Since its first event in 2008, the naked marathon has steadily increased participants every year and is now in its 13th edition, held annually on the first Sunday of the year. Women may participate in casual attire, while men must run topless in the 5 km and 10 km races.

The naked marathon is popular not only among marathon enthusiasts but also across various age groups and genders, as it allows participants to embrace both the cold and fun while reaffirming their New Year's resolutions.

The race course starts at Duryu Baseball Stadium, passes the 2·28 Memorial Tower, then goes through Duryu Park Intersection, the entrance of the Culture and Arts Center, Duribong Intersection, Daeseongsa Intersection, the entrance of Duryu Tennis Courts, the E-Land entrance intersection, and returns to the 2·28 Memorial Tower, covering a 5 km route.

Especially this year, before the race begins, there will be a pungmul band performance and a New Year's prayer ceremony (Binari) wishing for participants' New Year's wishes to come true. Additionally, there will be warm food and a raffle with prizes, creating a heartwarming closing event.

Lee Sang-gil, Deputy Mayor of Daegu, said, “We hope that the vigorous energy and hope of the 2020 Year of the Rat will be with all Daegu citizens,” and added, “Since vehicle traffic will be partially restricted on the day of the event, we ask for the cooperation and understanding of the citizens.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.