Seoul Trail Section 3: The Han and a few nice hills

After a day packed with errands, we were so ready to get off the city streets and back on the trails! Our chosen route for the night fit the bill just perfectly. We would be running Seoul Trail section 3 – a path literally over the river and through the woods.

In this rare selfie taken by the author, she is wearing a pink mask and headlamp and standing in front of a Seoul Trail sign. Her husband is to the right, bending over to stamp his stamp book. The building behind the pair reflects car and streetlights, and it appears bright for nighttime.
Stop one for stamps!

Just like the previous Saturday’s outing on section 8, we started well after dark. Despite the fact that it would mean doing one of the Seoul Trail sections out of order, we chose this route because it seemed nice for night running. There were flat sections for some faster intervals, we’d get to jog down memory lane along the Han River and we’d climb a few ridges for nifty nighttime views.

A landscape photograph of Seoul at night. Taken from northern edge of the Gwangjin bridge, this image showcases the lights of southern Seoul. The freeway cuts through the bottom of the frame, with the blurred shapes and lights of speeding cars. In the middle, lights are reflected on the dark, calm waters of the Han River. Olympic Bridge can be seen to the far right, and the tremendously tall Lotte Tower dominates the skyline.
Han River night scene

It was a balmy 5 degrees when we began! I felt free in lighter layers, and zoomed over the bridge into south Seoul. This first part was urban and flat – but a lot of fun. Kent and I chatted about our early days together in Seoul. In the days before we found trail and ultra running, we ran or cycled along this river daily. The Han was our constant companion as we built up strength for our first marathon together and our 2012 bike ride across Korea.

A selfie of the author and her husband on a bicycle outing in 2012. The pair embrace in front of a large red telephone booth - where bike tour stamps can be collected! There are a large number of bikes parked immediately behind them. On the other side of the cycle path, there's a huge crowd of people assembled around some tents. The whole scene is in the shadow of one of the large bridges that cross the Han River in Seoul.
Just chillin’ with some bikes under a bridge (2012)

On the south side of the river, we ran the familiar pavement of Gwangnaru bicycle park. Eventually, a right turn took us under the freeway and into the forest. This was new territory for us to explore. But it looked surprisingly familiar. We emerged from the forest and began climbing a series of steps right along the freeway. We’d so often seen these very steps from the bus and wondered where they led! Now we found ourselves exploring them.

A vertical portrait of the author, posing above the freeway. The pair have just climbed a set of stairs they were curious about and are stoked about the discovery! The bright light shining on the author from her husband's headlamp washes out the features of her face. The freeway below is lit with bright lights, and there are many tall buildings in the background, broken up by low hills and mountains.
Stoked for steps!

Kent had been concerned that this route would be a little too flat for our tastes. But I had seen a few little mountains on the map, and after a brief dash through the city, we reached them. The area that followed was a dark, deeply forested ridge. All was quiet, and we were once again alone.

The city glow seemed distant. We were on the very edge of Seoul. To the east, large black mountains were just distinguishable from the black night sky. Tall trees blocked most of the views down into Seoul on the west, secluding us in the forest. An owl flew on ahead of us in complete silence, and a startled deer bounded into the bushes and invisibility.

I absolutely loved the peace and solitude of this stretch of nighttime forest. But with only two hours on the books for the night, we soon were following our trail back into the bright city lights. We were headed towards Olympic Park!

This is one of our favorite places in Seoul, as we used to end all of our marathon training runs at the eternal flame. This is also where we would be ending tonight’s run – saving the final bit of Seoul Trail section 3 for another time.

Another selfie from the archives. This one dates from 2014. The author and her husband routinely ran from their home in the Bundang suburb, along the Tancheon stream to where it meets the Han River and finally, to Olympic Park - where they stand in this image. They are wearing jackets and hats to prevent post-workout chill, but they're smiling brightly in front of the colorful World Peace Gate. Just below the Olympic Rings, the eternal Olympic flame can just barely be seen!
With World Peace Gate after another chilly winter run (2014)

But there was one more surprise in store for us! The little red stamp booth for Olympic Park was not quite where we expected it. Still following ribbons and signs, we turned into a darkened alley behind a sports club. We jogged along, looking left and right. It was stinky, and getting stinkier! We finally found our Seoul Trail stamp right across from a massive mountain of onion peels.

In this selfie, Kent is on photo duty (as usual) but Carrie also has her arm outstretched as she is on lighting duty! Her headlamp is just out of view, but turned on the pair to illuminate them. Both are wearing buffs on their heads, masks around their necks and running vests. The background is very dark, but the red Seoul Trail stamp booth can just be seen behind them.
Smelly but smile-y!

There were no clues as to why this midden existed where it did. Laughing and gasping into our masks, we grabbed our stamp as quick as we could, and raced away towards the nearest subway station. On our way, we may or may not have discovered the perfect way to warm up chilly hands…

A rare indoor photograph. In this image, the author holds a warm drink in both hands, eyes closed as she sips it. Her husband's drink is in the foreground, along with a few snacks. After their run, the pair ducked into a cafe to warm up and enjoy a few little luxuries that they can't get in the countryside.
See? City running has it’s perks. Sweet treats galore!

Know and Go! Seoul Trail Section 3

Start Seoul Trail section 3 at Gwangnaru station (purple line 5 – exit 2) just north of the Han or Suseo station (orange line 3/Bundang line – exit 5) in southern Seoul.

This section of the Seoul Trail is 26.1 kilometers long. It’s described as easy, but it’s a little long for a casual hike.

There are four stamps in this section: (from north to south) Gwangnaru station, Godeoksan, Olympic Park and Suseo station.


Read on – or head back to the main Seoul Trail page!


Leave a Reply