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Hangang Triathlon June 5–7: foreigners welcome at "MY PACE" with a new intermediate course

Reported 2026-05-26 / Posted 2026-05-26 · Compiled from Seoul Metropolitan Government, Hangang Future Office, and verified booking platforms · By

Seoul has been running an unusually low-key annual amateur triathlon along the Han River since 2024, called the MY PACE Hangang Triathlon Festival (쉬엄쉬엄 한강 3종 축제 — "Sium Sium" or "shyeom-shyeom," roughly "take it easy"). The name is the entire pitch: this is not the Olympic-distance, suffer-through-it event your local triathlon club organizes. It's a 15–31 km course set, deliberately approachable, and as of 2026 it has an explicit foreign-participant track.

This year's third edition runs Friday June 5 through Sunday June 7, 2026 at Ttukseom and Jamsil Hangang Parks.

The four courses

You pick your level when you register. All include swim + cycle + run, but the distances and venues differ meaningfully.

  • Beginner — Pool version (Ttukseom): 200m swim (in a pool) + 10km cycle + 5km run = ~15 km. Best for people who've never swum in open water.
  • Beginner — River version (Ttukseom): 300m swim (in the Han River) + 10km cycle + 5km run = ~15 km. Same total distance, but the swim is in the river.
  • Intermediate (NEW for 2026) (Ttukseom): 500m swim + 15km cycle + 7km run = ~22 km. Added based on prior-year participant feedback that beginner felt too easy and advanced felt intimidating.
  • Advanced (Jamsil): 1km swim + 20km cycle + 10km run = ~31 km. Includes a river crossing.

For most travelers participating "on vacation," the Beginner Pool or Intermediate versions are the natural pick. Even Beginner finishers earn the t-shirt and medal.

Registration: now the actually-useful part for foreigners

Until 2025, registration went through Naver Reservation — Korean-only, requires a Korean phone number for verification. Frustrating if you live abroad.

For 2026, the festival now sells via international platforms with English UX:

  • Klook
  • KKday
  • Trazy
  • Seoul PASS
  • NOL World
  • Alipay+ (HypeAir, Alipay Wallet etc.)

Pick whichever platform you're already comfortable with — pricing usually aligns, and inclusions are standardized across resellers.

Cost, capacity, and what you actually get

  • Registration: from ₩30,000 per person.
  • Capacity: 30,000 total slots across the three days, first-come, first-served.
  • What's included: swim cap, bib, timing chip, on-route hydration and snacks, post-race meal, official Blackyak t-shirt, festival medal (for anyone who completes at least one of the three activities — partial completion is rewarded).
  • What's not included: your own bike (rentals on-site for fee), your own swim gear, transportation to the venue.

Foreigner Booth on-site

When you arrive at the venue, head to the Foreigner Booth. This is where:

  • Your passport (or ARC, foreigner residence card) gets verified for entry.
  • You collect your race packet (bib, swim cap, timing chip).
  • English-speaking staff handle questions about course, gear, water safety.

You don't need a Korean ID or Korean phone number. Just bring the passport you booked with and your confirmation QR/email.

Practical logistics

  • Ttukseom venue: Ttukseom Hangang Park, accessible via Ttukseom Resort Station (Line 7) Exit 2/3.
  • Jamsil venue: Jamsil Hangang Park, accessible via Jamsil Station (Lines 2/8) Exit 6.
  • Arrival time: 60–90 minutes before your wave start. Allow time for Foreigner Booth, gear setup, and the bathroom line.
  • Bike rental: Ttarungi (Seoul public bike, ~₩1,000/hr) is available, but for the cycling leg, the organizer offers race-grade bike rental for a fee. Reserve when registering.
  • Showers: Limited on-site changing facilities. Plan to leave directly to your hotel.
  • Spectators: Free to watch. Best viewing — Ttukseom riverside lawn for beginner/intermediate, Jamsil water taxi dock for the advanced river crossing.

If you don't want to race — the festival itself is free

The grounds host food trucks, music, the drone show on Friday June 5 evening (8:30 PM at Ttukseom — see our Han River drone show + 365 Festival City guide), and a J-Bug LED art installation. No race entry needed for any of it. Just walk in.

The honest take

Most "experience Seoul" lists give you Gyeongbokgung at sunrise and N Seoul Tower at sunset. The Hangang Triathlon is a different kind of memory — you'll spend three hours moving through the river that the city defines itself by, swap stories with Korean amateur athletes in their Sium Sium spirit, and walk away with a medal that means something specific. It's not Olympic-level performance; it's not meant to be. For travelers willing to swap one classic-sights day for this, the festival is one of the more genuine "lived a day in Seoul" experiences you can buy for ₩30,000.

Direct links you'll actually use

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