Seoul Trail Section 4: South side sprints

Heading back into Seoul for the weekend, we had two missions. Three, if you count each of our two Seoul Trail courses separately. We were going to run the south side of Seoul – and we were going to do it fast!

A photograph of Kent, the author's husband, on top of a small mountain in Seoul. He's dressed in grey and blue, and is drinking water from his hydration pack with an air of contemplation. Behind him is a barren, foliage-less winter forest. There are a few patches of snow on the brown, muddy ground - and a picnic table and some benches on the hillside to the left.
Run ready

It was late February, and we were training for Dalat: a 70k race that promised to be quick and competitive. So as important as our ongoing Seoul Trail quest was, it was even more important to make our run count as a workout.

That turned out to be easy, because the trail was tough! We’d been promised the best trail in Seocho-gu by a super speedy friend of ours who lives and trains in the area. Seoul Trail section 4 was up next – and just perfect for our need for speed.

A vertical image depicting Carrie, the author, running uphill. It is a study in brown: the trail dirt is brown, the fallen leaves to either side are pale brown and the tree trunks are yet another shade of brown. The only color comes from the author's bright orange long-sleeve top. This is Seoul Trail section 4 in late winter!
Heading for the hills

The course was tough on paper, thanks to rolling but distinctly runnable terrain. It was even tougher in person, thanks to spring trail conditions! A few days of warm sun had melted some of the snow on the mountains, and thawed some creek crossings. This made for tricky conditions, as we were about to discover!

After a short warm-up, we started a high-intensity interval. Just a few hundred meters later, the hillside trail become wildly muddy. A few footsteps would be sticky, and I’d worry about losing a shoe to the sucking mud – but moments later I’d be sliding around in the muck, worried about falling down in it!

A selfie, taken by Kent. This photo was taken just after the pair completed their fast interval, and they are at the top of a hill. They are both shiny with sweat and are wearing their caps pushed back off their faces. The backdrop is a forest of Korean pines that lines the way on Seoul Trail section 4.
Sweaty selfie!

Interval complete, we slowed down to a conversational pace. We stopped for a couple of selfies and to admire the views. We’d decided to run in reverse for convenience (we’d parked our stuff in a motel at the midpoint of our two weekend trails), so we were headed back towards familiar territory.

And it did not take long to get there! On the other side of Umyeonsan, we ran straight down into Yangjae Citizens’ Forest! In the days before we were trail runners, we were avid hikers – and it was here where we would end long treks over Cheonggyesan. The park itself is pleasant, and there is a lovely market for flowers and other house plants nearby.

In this image from the author's archives, she and her husband stand with the Guksabong summit stele on a cold, grey winter's day in 2015. She's behind the stone stele, wearing a blue jacket and a black hat. Kent stands alongside, in a green jacket and Canadian toque.
In the mountains above Yangjae, 2015

Seoul Trail section 4 winds through the park and crosses the Yangjae stream before linking up with the ridges of Guryongsan and Daemosan. We found ourselves with improving air quality, and some vistas of south Seoul.

A great landscape view of southern Seoul, taken from Guryongsan on Seoul Trail section 4. Although the hillsides are barren and the city is mostly grey, the blue sky and clean air give a crispness to the scene.
Lotte views…

Suseo subway station is just below Daemosan. That’s where Seoul Trail section 4 starts – or ends – for most. But not for us: it was also the perfect opportunity to run the remainder of Seoul Trail section 3.

On our previous outing, time and distance constraints had us stopping short of finishing Seoul Trail section 3. It took a month, but now we were back to finish the trail!

A photograph of the author, smiling in golden sunset light on Seoul Trail section 4. She's standing next to the tall blonde grasses surrounding the Tancheon stream on a paved walking and cycling trail. A huge bridge frames the top of the scene.
It’s the Tancheon!

However, things did not go exactly as planned. Maybe I was too excited to revisit our old stomping grounds on the Tancheon stream, or perhaps we just weren’t paying attention, but we somehow completely missed the stamp booth near Suseo. And, we didn’t realize it until we were many kilometers down the riverside path.

The author and her husband are grinning triumphantly in this photograph, taken near the finish line of the 2015 Koguryeo Marathon. They've just completed their second full course together, and are wearing the race medals around their necks. They have race bibs pinned to their winter running gear, and are standing on a running track in Jamsil Stadium.
Happy at the Koguryeo Marathon, 2015

Chatting away about our 2014-2015 runs on the Tancheon, we got carried away. It wasn’t until we’d turned off our familiar river onto a new one that we recognized our mistake. Stopping to consult our Seoul Trail map, we confirmed that we’d definitely missed our stamps.

I initially was for continuing to Olympic Park and then turning around, thereby closing the gap in our Seoul Trail exploration. But, when the riverside trail ended and we were directed up into the city, we both lost interest. Our stopping point from our previous outing was probably only a few city blocks further on when we turned around.

So, full disclosure, we did not complete Seoul Trail section 3 in the end, despite our best intentions! We missed out on a kilometer or so of urbanity, but at least we got to re-experience the Tancheon (to my delight, and my delight alone). Our run was plenty long at this point, so we simply headed back to Suseo – this time much more mindful of where we were.

A funny photo of the author, wearing an expression of dismay and gesturing to Suseo Station. The sleek metal and glass building is decorated with a Christmas tree out in front, and there's a large electronic sign displaying train departure times.
Not exactly where we expected to end up…

We spotted our little red box at the top of the ramp leading to the Tancheon and collected our stamps, concluding our day out with 25 kilometers in around three and a half hours.

Next, it was time for treats – but first, a very cold post-workout subway ride!

One more selfie, a rare one taken by the author. Here, she and Kent are in a subway car, riding towards their favorite restaurant in Seoul. Kent looks normal, but Carrie, despite her thumbs up, has her buff pulled up to cover most of her face!
Post-workout chill on the subway

Know and Go! Seoul Trail Section 4

To travel Seoul Trail section 4 in the clockwise (intended) direction, begin at Suseo station (orange line 3/Bundang line – exit 5) in southern Seoul and finish at Sadang station (green line 2 and light blue line 4 – exit 4). Or run in reverse, as we did!

This section of the Seoul Trail is 17.9 kilometers long. It’s described as normal, thanks to a good mix of mountains (three!) and riverside paths.

There are three stamps in this section: (from east to west) Suseo subway station, Yun Bong-gil Memorial Hall (Yangjae Citizens’ Forest) and Sadang station.


Continue the Seoul Trail adventure on section 5 – or head back to the main Seoul Trail page.


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