Cheongsong dreaming of having a million tourists <6>

CheongSong TrailRun

Mecca of Mountain Sports, Cheongsong

Only maniacs know

about the "mountain marathon in August."

The low temperature

is good for running a summer race.

Mountain sports maniacs

continue to explore Cheongsong.

The Baekdudaegan mountain range runs from Mt. Taebaek through Mt. Sobaek and Mt. Songni in the West toward Mt. Jiri in the South, leaving an offset called Nakdongjeongmaek.

CheongSong TrailRun.

Cheongsong is located at the end summit of Nakdongjeongmaek, and mountains cover about 83 % of Cheongsong, which is surrounded by harsh mountains. In Cheongsong, beautiful and gorgeous pine trees boast their grace in high mountains, befitting the name Cheongsong, meaning "pine tree."

CheongSong TrailRun is held on Aug 12 every year.

CheongSong TrailRun.

There are four courses: a half mountain course, a 5 ㎞ general course, a 10 ㎞ general course and a 1.5 km walking course. The marathon course runs 21.95㎞ (Cheongsong Hyeonbiam gangsuyokjjang – Mangmijeong - Entrance of Cheongsong-gun residents sports ground – Ongjeomjae, Ongjeom-ri, Pacheon-myeon – Summit of Mt. Jungdae – Suimteojeong, Manjisong, Bugok-ri, Cheongsong-eup – Summit of Mt. Banggwang - Cheongsong Hyeonbiam gangsuyokjjang). There are great performance of a cheerleading team and a giveaway lottery, every year. Runners, their families and visitors can enjoy other activities at the Folk Arts Village, Gaekju Literary House and Cheongsong Auto Camping Resort.

CheongSong TrailRun.

CheongSong TrailRun

A unique mountain sports competition is held.

CheongSong TrailRun is a mountain marathon competition held in a scorching summer. Mountain marathons are usually strenuous and runners easily run out of breath. The charm of this marathon competition is running a mountain marathon in August, the hottest month of the year. The 1st CheongSong TrailRun held last year was successful, attracting about a thousand participants from around the country. About 70 marathon clubs from around the country participated in the competition and the clubs include Seoul Flyers, consisting of foreigners, a marathon club from Kia Motors and a marathon club from Nonghyup Cheongsong.

CheongSong TrailRun.

The key to the success of this competition was finding out about tendencies of marathon maniacs. While most marathon competitions are held in spring and fall, CheongSong TrailRun is held in the middle of summer. This is a switch of ideas. As there are only a few marathon competitions held in summer, this competition looks attractive to marathon maniacs who need to exercise consistently. Particularly, the temperature is lower in Cheongsong than in other parts of the country during summer, which offers a good condition to runners. And the mountain course is mostly tree-shaded, offering an optimal condition to run a race. The 5- and 10-km courses for general marathon maniacs are not mountainous. There are different courses that marathon runners can choose from.

The biggest charm of this competition is that participants can feel that they are on vacation, running a race. They begin running, looking at the refreshing waterfall of Hyeonbiam gangsuyokjjang. After they are finished with the race, they can play in the water of Hyeonbiam gangsuyokjjang near the competition place at any time. Last year, plenty of participants brought their families with them to have a summer vacation in Cheongsong.

Motorcycle Race.

Mountain Bike / Motorcycle Race

The thrill of racing through a thick pine forest… Divided into downhill and cross-country

At Cheongsong, renowned for its mountain sports, a national mountain bike and motorcycle race is being held each year in addition to its annual trail run.

The national mountain bike race was held recently by the Cheongsong Governor's Office at Mt. Taehaeng MTB course which connects to the trail run course. This race was comprised of both downhill (racing down a slope at high speeds) and cross-country (racing through diverse terrain along the mountain ridge) courses.

The race course was set-up to be challenging since riders had to go through all the courses. However, this configuration allowed for riders to enjoy the spectacular view of Cheongsong's natural landscape. Participants got a chance to experience genuine mountain biking experience riding along roads, on trails through thick forests, and narrow mountain ridges.

The Cheongsong Motorcycle Cross-country Championship was held during the 32th Juwangsan Azalea Festival this year. The Cheongsong-gun Office devised a plan to host the race to host the race during the festival period in order to offer more attractions to visitors.

Cross-country motorcycle racing is a sport which involves racing through rugged terrain and requires quick reflexes and skills. It is an advanced extreme sports; therefore, it is not easy to come by unless you are a person who professionally rides motorcycles. On the contrary, it is this poor accessibility which entices spectators to the sport.