"One Page, One Step"... 20th Anniversary of Bitgoeul Reading Marathon

From 1,500 to 21,000 Pages: Seven Courses
Finishers Receive School Record Entry and Extra Points for Reading Programs
Gwangju Office of Education: "An Opportunity to Develop Reading Habits"

The reading journey of Gwangju students marks its 20th milestone this year. The "Bitgoeul Reading Marathon," where participants progress toward their goals page by page, will be held from the 17th of this month through November.

In November last year, the West Reading Festival was held at the Gwangju Namgu Culture and Arts Center. Photo by Gwangju Office of Education

The Gwangju Office of Education announced on the 12th that it will operate the Bitgoeul Reading Marathon for elementary, middle, and high school students to promote a reading community culture. Participants can set their reading plans in advance and choose one of seven courses to challenge themselves.

Depending on the amount of reading, the courses are divided into Turtle (1,500?2,499 pages), Crocodile (2,500?4,999 pages), Rabbit (5,000?7,499 pages), Ostrich (7,500?10,548 pages), Lion (10,549?15,822 pages), Tiger (15,823?21,097 pages), and Laurel Wreath (over 21,098 pages). The Office of Education will assess completion based on participants' reading journals, converting one page to one meter, and will award a certificate of completion to those who reach their target course.

Last year, a total of 40,845 students participated, and 21,765 completed the marathon. Upon approval from the school principal, finishers can have their participation in the "20th Bitgoeul Reading Marathon" recorded in their school records, and outstanding participants will receive extra points when applying for the "To the World with Books" program.

Superintendent Lee Jungseon stated, "We plan to support each school so that the reading marathon can be operated in various ways," and added, "We will continue to make efforts to help students develop reading habits and to spread a reading culture."

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