Turtle Marathon set for Oct. 24

Participants in the 453rd Turtle Marathon on Mt. Nam Saturday will get to enjoy colorful autumn foliage and crisp mountain air.

The event, co-hosted by the Hankook Ilbo, a sister paper of The Korea Times, the Korea Native Chicken Association and the Korea Poultry Board, will start at 9 a.m. at Baekbeom Square, in Namsan Park's Hoehyeon area. Kim Keun-ho, chairman of the Korea Native Chicken Association, will lead the event. The marathon has drawn more than 1.2 million people since 1978.

A cheerleading team from Kolex Sports Entertainment will stage stretching exercises and a three-man band, Maensami, will provide a lively performance. A sample tasting event presenting native Korean chicken dishes is also scheduled.

The six-kilometer course will head from Baekbeom Square towards the National Theater of Korea, and then back to the square along the Mt. Nam walking trail.

At the walk’s end, emcee Moon Jin-ok will host a draw for prizes that include tickets to the percussion show "Drum Cat: The Festival" and ISOI cosmetics, among others.

Students who participate in the cleanup will receive certification for completion of three hours of volunteer work. These students can register at www.1365.go.kr.

Admission is free. For more information, visit www.hkturtle.com.

When:

Saturday, Oct. 24, meet at 8:30 a.m. (walk begins at 9 a.m.).

Where:

Baekbeom Square, in Namsan Park's Hoehyeon area

Prizes:

Chicken gift sets, free subscriptions to Hankook Ilbo, tickets to Drum Cat’s “The Festival” performances, ISOI cosmetics, tickets to Namsan cable car, among others.

Inquiries: (02) 724-2613~7, www.hkturtle.com

Organizer:

Hankook Ilbo

Sponsors:

Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs; NongHyup; Korea Native Chicken Association; Korea Poultry Board; Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism; Seoul City Government; Sports Hankook; Kids Hankook Ilbo; and The Korea Times.