[Report] "Running with my 7-year-old son" Over 2,000 Participate in 'SkyRun' at Jamsil

'No Mask' After 4 Years... Over 2,000 Participants Gather
Oldest Participant 82 Years Old, Youngest 7 Years Old Draw Attention

"I came with my coworkers. The goal is definitely to be number one!"

Participants are waiting to start at the starting line.
Photo by Lee Seohee

On the morning of the 22nd, the '2023 Sky Run' held at Lotte World Tower in Songpa-gu, Seoul, was bustling with participants waiting for the start. Participants were seen warming up by following rhythm yoga and stretching exercises on the lawn prepared in front of the start line. The youngest participant this year, 7-year-old Park Jaehee, stood at the start line holding his mother and father's hands. Park said, "I often come here to play," adding, "I always wanted to climb the stairs to the top of the building, so I’m happy to be able to do it today." Lee Ji-hye (36), who came to the event with Park, said, "Last year, we couldn’t participate with my child because we had to run wearing masks," and added, "Since we can run without masks today, I am determined to finish the race with my child."

The youngest participant, Jaehee Park (7), is taking a commemorative photo with his parents.
[Photo by Seohui Lee]

The Sky Run is a vertical marathon race climbing a total of 2,917 stairs from the 1st floor of Lotte World Tower to the 123rd-floor observatory. This year’s event, held without masks for the first time in four years, attracted about 2,000 participants. Registration reportedly closed in just 5 minutes, resembling a 'course enrollment' scene. No Hyun-woo (35), who registered first and received bib number 1, said, "I was lucky to succeed in the 'rapid click' and start as the first runner," adding, "My girlfriend unfortunately failed to register and couldn’t come today, but I want to come together next year." Oh Ji-hye (30), who works at an architectural office in Seoul, said, "A colleague recommended I register, but ironically, that person couldn’t register," and added, "I was unsure until yesterday whether to come, but now that I’m here alone, I’m glad I did."

Kim Chang-hyun (24), who won first place in the men's division of the competition category, is posing.
Photo by Lee Seo-hee

The competition was divided into a 'competitive category' limited to participants aged 18 to under 65, and a 'non-competitive category' open to all ages. The competitive category was mainly composed of participants who regularly exercised to build stamina, while the non-competitive category featured unique participants who applied to break their own limits.

The first place in the men’s competitive category was claimed by Kim Chang-hyun (24) with a time of 19 minutes and 46 seconds. Kim said, "The secret is that I joined a marathon club two years ago and have been training consistently with the members," adding, "I will celebrate with a Korean beef party with my club members using the first-place gift certificate." The women’s first place went to Jung Hye-ran (30), who finished in 24 minutes and 28 seconds. Jung said, "Since I first participated in 2019, the event was repeatedly canceled due to COVID-19, which was disappointing," and added, "I have been active in the marathon club for today, and I want to brag to the members right away."

In the non-competitive category, 82-year-old Choi Jae-hoon attracted attention by participating. Choi, who climbs the stairs of a 15-floor apartment every morning, said, "I woke up at 7 a.m. this morning and climbed the 15-floor stairs four times," adding, "Not drinking alcohol and not smoking are the best secrets to my health."

The male and female winners in the competitive category each received Lotte gift certificates worth 1.23 million won. The second-place winners received a Signiel Seoul stay and meal voucher for two, and the third-place winners were awarded Puma sportswear and sports equipment sets. All participants who completed the race were given a finisher’s medal, a certificate of completion, and a finisher’s kit containing snacks from Lotte Confectionery and Lotte Chilsung Beverage. The registration fees were fully donated to the Bobath Children’s Clinic of the Lotte Medical Foundation.

An event official said, "Since this is the first event in four years held without masks, the number of registrants exceeded expectations," and added, "We will continue to plan events that inspire the spirit of challenge beyond limits and raise awareness of the importance of health."

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