Why I Decided to Become a Morning Runner — Again

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  Why I Decided to Become a Morning Runner — Again After two years of injuries and excuses, the answer was embarrassingly simple. I just had to wake up earlier. I. The Hunger to Run For the past two years, the pattern was always the same. Train a little, race, get injured, spend months unable to run. Recover just enough, race again, get hurt again. Despite years of running, I was going nowhere. This year, I changed one thing: I stopped chasing times and focused on staying healthy. The results? A full marathon finish. A 100km ultra finish. Both without injury. After every previous race, I'd been limping for weeks or unable to run for months. This time, I could lace up again within days. I didn't realize how extraordinary that was until I experienced it. That difference — between pushing too hard and coming home in one piece — deserved a closer look. Pushing too hard → Injury Finishing healthy → C...

Gwanaksan Trail Running — It Wasn't Training. It Was a Picnic.

 

 


Gwanaksan Trail Running — It Wasn't Training. It Was a Picnic.


I. Course Overview

Section 1: Mountain Entry & Ridge (Anyang Sports Complex → Gwacheon)

Start: Anyang Sports Complex (Bisan-dong)
Behind the stadium → Military base (Subangsa) entrance → Gwanaksan Forest Trail → Bisan Ridge → Toward Gwacheon Maebong Peak

This section bypasses the stream and climbs directly onto the Gwanaksan ridge via the trail beside the military base. The uphill starts right away and demands energy, but you're immediately rewarded with dense forest. This is where real trail running begins.

Section 2: Descent & Connection (Gwacheon → Sadang)

Gwacheon Maebong descent → Near Gwacheon Government Complex Station → Gwacheon Boulevard sidewalk → Namtaeryeong Pass → Sadang Station

After descending from the mountain, you cut through downtown Gwacheon and cross into Seoul. Namtaeryeong Pass has a gentle (?) slope before leading you to Sadang Station.

Section 3: Gwanaksan Dulle-gil (Sadang → Seoul National University)

Sadang Station → Gwaneum Temple entrance → Gwanaksan Dulle-gil → Behind Nakseongdae Park → SNU Main Gate

A forest trail along the base of the mountain from Sadang to Seoul National University. The climb to the ridge is tough, but once you're up, the gentle slopes make it a perfect section for finding your rhythm.

Section 4: Valley & Muneomi Pass (SNU → Muneomi)

SNU Gwanaksan Gate → Lake Park → Valley trail (toward Campsite #4) → Muneomi Pass

This is where you enter the heart of Gwanaksan. Muneomi Pass marks the border between Anyang and Seoul — the key checkpoint of the entire course.

Section 5: Descent & Arboretum (Muneomi → Anyang Art Park)

Muneomi Pass descent → SNU Anyang Arboretum trail → Anyang Art Park

Coming down from Muneomi Pass, the wide arboretum trail opens up beneath your feet. After all those narrow mountain paths, this spacious stretch feels like a finish line welcoming you home.

If you've run a half marathon or longer, you can complete the entire course without much difficulty.

If the full distance feels like too much, joining at Sadang Station for the second half is also a great option.
· · ·

II. What Makes This Course Special

1. Training That Doesn't Feel Like Training

After the spring marathon season ends,
there's always a gap that follows all that preparation.

You know you should keep training,
but honestly…

"I just want to take a break today."

That thought creeps in more often than you'd expect.

But this course is different.

A trail you've never run before,
shared with people you're always happy to see.

It doesn't feel like training.
It just feels like a good day.


2. Running Over Namtaeryeong Pass

Namtaeryeong Pass — a road I've driven countless times.
Always stuck in traffic.

This time, I ran over it.

The same road,
but an entirely different experience.

That strange sense of unfamiliarity is another charm of this course.

3. Not Hiking — Running the Mountain

Climbing from Sadang toward Gwaneum Temple,
a thought suddenly hits you.

"Wait — I'm actually running up a mountain."

It's different from hiking.
A little harder, but that much more rewarding.

This section is where you feel
a quiet pride as a runner.

Throughout the run, our hearts stayed as young as the faces in these photos.
We stopped wherever something felt worth remembering,
enjoying the journey — half training, half picnic.

4. Landmark Photo at SNU

It has nothing to do with my life,
but it's a place you want to visit at least once.

Seoul National University's main gate.

Just being there felt like
checking off a small milestone.

5. A Day That Truly Felt Like a Picnic

Look at the photos.
You can feel the mood of that day.

It was a tough course,
but everyone is smiling.

That's why this day
wasn't really training.

It was a picnic, through and through.

The joy of the day shows in every face.

· · ·

III. Why We Chose Anyang Art Park as the Finish

Ten of us sat down for a meal together.
Plenty of food, nothing lacking.

The food was good,
and even with drinks, the total came to 150,000 won.

A pretty satisfying way to wrap things up.

We started at 6 AM,
arrived around 11,
and said goodbye at 1:30 PM.

Running with good people,
breathing in clean mountain air,

eating great food,
and having easy conversation.

That alone
made it a wonderful day.

· · ·

Sometimes
I catch myself worrying about a future that hasn't even arrived,
wasting the present in the process.

When that happens, I tell myself:

"There I go again — worrying about nothing."

I used to think
things like running clubs and trips
were luxuries I couldn't afford.

But looking back now,

I wonder why I spent so much time worrying
and ruined perfectly good days
for no reason.

I haven't fully broken the habit yet…

But these days, I'm starting to feel it in my bones —
that the small joys in everyday life
are what actually help me stay present and live better.

I think I'll bring everyone along for the next picnic, too.

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