[Report] Swimming in Seokchon Lake and 123-Story Vertical Marathon... "Trying to Transcend My Limits"

‘2022 Lotte Oe Race’ Unique Urban Event
First Swimming Competition Held at Seokchon Lake
Climbing Lotte World Tower 123 Floors
Total 420 Participants... Combined Shortest Time 47 Minutes 25 Seconds

Participants in the '2022 Lotte Oe Race' are swimming at Lotte World Tower and Seokchon Lake in Songpa-gu, Seoul.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] “Is everyone ready to start? We will begin with a cheer and shout. One, two, three, fighting! Wow~ wow~ wow~”

On the 7th, Mr. Kim Sang-gyu, whom we met at the arena plaza in front of Lotte World Tower in Songpa-gu, Seoul, said, “I usually swim about three times a week in the morning,” and expressed his aspiration, “I joined the competition to transcend my own limits.”

From early morning at 6 a.m., participants of the unique sports event ‘2022 Lotte Oe Race’ began gathering at Lotte World Tower and Seokchon Lake. This event attracted great attention as the world’s first course combining swimming 1.5km in Seokchon Lake and a vertical marathon skyrun climbing 2,917 steps up to the 123rd floor of Lotte World Tower. For safety reasons, only members of triathlon or swimming clubs were allowed to register. At the actual site, most participants appeared to be young and middle-aged people who regularly exercise.

Participants are warming up at the '2022 Lotte Oe Race' held at Lotte World Tower and Seokchon Lake in Songpa-gu, Seoul.

Upon arrival, participants immediately checked their belongings at the storage area and changed into swimsuits. They began warming up by lightly running or stretching on their own. It was a lively sports event atmosphere experienced for the first time in a long while since COVID-19. Mr. Lim Jae-wook, who lives in Songpa-gu, Seoul, said, “I live in this neighborhood, so I found out about the event and decided to come. I didn’t prepare separately for the competition; my goal is just to finish. I think it will be a unique experience.”

The venue was equipped with the competition headquarters, information center, storage area, souvenir and snack distribution points, medical facilities, and changing rooms scattered throughout. Before the official start, there were opening remarks, welcome speeches, and congratulatory addresses. Mr. Ryu Je-don, CEO of Lotte Property & Development, said, “I think it is very meaningful to hold a swimming competition at Seokchon Lake for the first time,” and encouraged, “While records are important, health and safety come first. Please enjoy a fun and safe race.”

Participants of the '2022 Lotte Oe Race' are diving at Lotte World Tower and Seokchon Lake in Songpa-gu, Seoul.

The Seokchon Lake swimming race started at 7 a.m. with the whistle sound “5, 4, 3, 2, 1, beep.” An official at the site explained, “The current water temperature is 30.3 degrees Celsius, which is good for swimming.” A total of 420 participants started in groups of four at 10-second intervals. The leading group completed the first lap of 750m around 7:17 a.m. and passed the 1.5km mark around 7:27 a.m. They then rushed to the changing area to change clothes and headed to the skyrun. In the lower groups, some participants appeared somewhat exhausted, making sounds like “aigoo” and “huff huff.”

The leading group started the skyrun around 7:29 a.m. They showed relaxed expressions, giving thumbs-up and peace signs. Participants began climbing the stairs at their own pace. Encouraging phrases such as “You’re almost there” and “You looked great today!” were posted on the stairs, and at every 20th floor, evacuation safety zones were set up where staff cheered and provided water. Participants who completed the race received medals, caught their breath, and took commemorative photos at the photo zone.

Participants of the '2022 Lotte Oe Race' are starting the sky run at Lotte World Tower and Seokchon Lake in Songpa-gu, Seoul.

Mr. Choi Kyu-seo, the first male to reach the 123rd floor, said, “It was harder than I thought after finishing the swim, and the stairs seemed endless,” and added, “I participated in a vertical marathon once in 2018. I was frustrated because I placed fifth then, so I took this opportunity to join.” Ms. Lee Ji-hyun, the first female to arrive, said, “I usually do triathlon training, but this was my first time participating in a competition,” and commented, “There was a lot of physical contact during the swim, and I swallowed a lot of water. Still, it was less difficult than I expected.”

Mr. Lee Joo-young, who is active as a triathlete despite having a below-knee amputation, also completed the race. He said, “I always had to withdraw from marathons because my prosthetic leg didn’t fit well. This was the first time I ran on two feet without relying on anything,” and expressed joy, “It was very tough, but when I looked out the window, I felt an indescribable emotion.”

Lee Ju-young is taking a commemorative photo after completing the '2022 Lotte Oe Race' held at Lotte World Tower and Seokchon Lake in Songpa-gu, Seoul.

The competition ended around 9:30 a.m., followed by the awards ceremony for the top three male and female winners. The combined shortest record for swimming and skyrun was 47 minutes 25 seconds by Mr. Kim Jae-hyun for men and 53 minutes 20 seconds by Ms. Hwang Ji-ho for women. The first-place winners received Lotte gift certificates worth 3 million KRW and two tickets to the country’s first electric car racing event, ‘2022 Seoul E-PRIX.’ All participants received souvenirs including T-shirts, swim caps, sports bags, sports towels, tattoo stickers, and finisher medals.

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