Running is the road to self awareness and reliance… You can push yourself to extremes and learn the harsh reality of your physical and mental limitations or coast quietly down a solitary path watching the earth spin beneath your feet. But when you are through, exhilarated and exhausted, at least, for a moment, everything seems right with the world- A quote found in Runner’s magazine

There’s no denying that one of the greatest ways to get back into shape is to run on a regular basis and best of all, it’s free! Here are the top places to go running in Seoul :

1. Namsan Park- This scenic 3k trail follows an undulating path with small rolling hills. The path is lined with beautiful trees and the trail is marked every 500 meters so you know how far you’ve gone. You can entertain yourself during the run by watching all the ajumas with their visors walking briskly backwards, or sometimes you may see businessmen in their suits going for a lunchtime jog. You’ll probably also encounter a few serious runners. The view from the park is panoramic and the fresh air is a welcome break from the noxious pollution of the city. There are many ways to get to this trail. This trail is accessible from the Hyatt Hotel as well as the Tower Hotel. You can also get off at exit 6 of the Dongguk University train station (stop 332 on the orange line) turn right, walk uphill until you see the gentrance to the Seoul National Theater. The trail begins here.

g2. Han River- A very popular place to run is along the Han River Park . This is where a lot of serious runners train gbecause the terrain is flat, well marked and you can run endlessly along the length of the river. People can use the gdifferent bridges as bench marks and you can stop in various places for a break. If you go there on weekends, you’ll gstart to recognize some of the more devout runners. They’re a friendly group. Between the Dongho and Hannam bridge gon the south side, there’s a running track where you can do speed work and interval training.

g3. Olympic Park- This park is a beautiful place to run, but a bit far away. However, if you’re going for a long run ganyway, it’s worth the trek. There are several footpaths inside the park, but there’s one which rings the entire park gwhich is specifically for runners. They call it “Youth Lane” You can get to Olympic Park on the purple line. Take the gsubway to Olympic Park station, stop no.550
gHere’s a map to the park and more info.

ghttp://www.sosfo.or.kr/english/contents/park/sitemap.asp

gHere's a great triathlon and running team here in Seoul:
gseoulsynergy.com

gFind out where to do Pilates
gFind out where to do Bikram yoga