On the 3rd, at the starting line of the 2026 Chuncheon United Marathon held in the Gangchon area of Chuncheon-si, Gangwon-do, stood runners harboring their own special stories.

From a couple challenging themselves to their first-ever marathon to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary, to an 82-year-old oldest participant who started running for her health, and a family running together across three generations, participants with diverse stories ran vigorously along the Bukhangang River.

School communities, with students, parents, and faculty members competing together, also took vigorous steps, running a special race of sharing challenges and memories beyond mere records.

Although their ages and reasons for running were different, the joy of completion was the same for everyone.

40th Wedding Anniversary: Finishing Side by Side at the Scene of Their First Date

Min Sung-sook (62) and Sung Il-kyung (63), who are celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary, successfully finished their first-ever marathon side by side in Gangchon, where they had their very first date during their college years.

The two, who sparked their romance in Gangchon as college freshmen in 1982, tied the knot on October 3, 1986.

Returning to Gangchon on this day, which marked exactly 40 years of marriage, the couple jointly challenged themselves to the 5km course and crossed the finish line in about 30 minutes.

Recalling the moment she stood at the starting line, Min compared it to her wedding day, saying, "It felt as exciting as waiting for a wedding ceremony while wearing a wedding dress."

Though 5km was a new challenge for a couple who usually ran about 3km, whenever they felt out of breath, they held hands, walked a bit, and resumed running, sticking together until the end.

Min laughed and said, "Whenever we got a bit short of breath, the two of us would hold hands and walk, then run again, so we didn't even feel tired. Running through Gangchon brought back memories of our very first date."

The promise the two reaffirmed upon completing the race was 'to run together healthily.'

"We talked about continuing to heal and take care of our health together while living happily," the couple said. "With more practice, we'll challenge ourselves to the 10km course in the next competition."

Running Began Due to Back Pain: 82-Year-Old Oldest Runner Completes 10km

Jeon Ha-ja (82, female), the oldest participant in this competition, showed off her enduring vigor by completing the 10km course in 1 hour and 15 minutes.

The unexpected catalyst for Jeon starting to run was the back pain that had troubled her for a long time.

Diagnosed with spinal stenosis 7 to 8 years ago, she began walking along the perimeter path near her home in Daeseong-ri, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do, with the thought of exercising instead of undergoing surgery.

Triggered by an experience where she felt severe pain while walking and broke into a brief sprint, she gradually began running, and through consistent exercise, her pain significantly decreased.

For Jeon, who still runs 4-6km every two days and regularly swims, this Chuncheon United Marathon was her third marathon competition in her life.

True to her pledge, "Since I have some age, I won't be greedy and will run at my usual pace," Jeon crossed the finish line after running along the Bukhangang River.

Immediately after finishing, she smiled brightly and said, "It feels so great and refreshing. I will challenge myself again next year."

Her husband, Lee Jong-man (85), who watched his wife's challenge from the side, also held her hand tightly and said, "I'm just so grateful that she keeps running like this."

Jeon said, "Many people suffer from spinal stenosis, but I hope they take courage like I did and challenge themselves to exercise. I want to keep running for as long as I can."

From Grandfather to Grandson: Three-Generation Family of Five Runs First Joint Race

For Shin Hak-gyun's (73) family from Songseo, Gyeongsangbuk-do, the race on this day was also special.

Five family members spanning three generations—including Shin, his two sons, and two grandsons—participated in a competition together for the first time, each running a course suited to their physical strength.

Although Shin usually enjoys marathons, this was the first time his entire family gathered and ran together.

For Shin, who used to frequently travel back and forth across the Gangchon area while working in the transportation industry, this day's race was also a time to revisit old memories.

Shin shared his impressions, saying, "I used to drive endlessly on dangerous, frozen roads in the winter. Coming back here after a long time and running it myself brought back a flood of new emotions."

His son, Shin Hyun-gil (41), also said, "Seeing my father look so happy gave me the driving force to run even harder."

Grandson Shin Ju-won (11) elicited laughter with his honest thoughts: "At first, I thought I was going to die because it was freezing, then I thought I was going to die because it got hot while running, and after that, I thought I was going to die because I was tired. But right now, I'm going to die because I'm hungry."

He added, "It was great running with my family," and said, "Dad promised to buy me delicious dakgalbi [spicy stir-fried chicken], so I want to eat it quickly."

Students, Parents, and Faculty Run Together Before Class: A 'Rewarding Completion'

About 70 students, parents, and faculty members from Geumbyeong Elementary School in Chuncheon participated together in the 5km course on this day, tasting the joy of completion.

Their challenge began last March.

Taking advantage of the Gangwon State Office of Education's support project for parent clubs, the Geumbyeong Elementary School Parent Association formed a morning physical education club and prepared for their first marathon by running consistently with the students before class hours started.

Having built up their physical strength by participating in a 50-day daily running challenge, they inspected the course themselves ahead of the competition and eagerly awaited this day.

Students ranging from lower to upper grades were divided into groups and started according to their respective running speeds.

Ha So-min (49, female), who led the club, said, "I was worried that the children might run too fast at the beginning and get exhausted, but they all ran very well. I am proud that everyone finished safely without anyone falling behind."

She continued, "It seems the efforts we put into practicing together and inspecting the course previously have paid off. I hope the children gain a sense of achievement from reaching their goal and continue taking on new challenges starting from this experience."

Kim Tae-seo (12), who served as the running crew leader, also smiled after crossing the finish line with his friends, saying, "I'm proud that we all finished together."

They mentioned that the encouragement from local residents they met while running the course was also deeply impressive.

Ha expressed her wish, saying, "It was so wonderful to see residents cheering us on warmly from various places along the run. I hope Gangchon comes back to life and becomes a vibrant place like it used to be."

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