Asia Pacific

Daegu, South Korea

CC 4.0: Ron Clausen

Daegu, located in the Yeongnam region in southeastern South Korea, is the country’s fourth-largest city. It’s an important center for the fashion and high-tech industries. The city sits in the basin surrounded by low mountains, with the Sincheon and Geumho rivers flowing at its eastern edges. The best options for running in Daegu are along the extensive riverside multi-use paths, and in some of the city’s small but lovely parks. There are wonderful opportunities for trail running in the mountains nearby. Pro tip: Daegu is especially festive and colorful during spring cherry blossom season and autumn.

The best places to run in Daegu are to choose among the 25+ km of paved paths along the Sincheon and Geumho rivers, which intersect in the city’s north. We’ve also put together an 8 km ‘runseeing’ tour, which combines several of Daegu’s notable parks and important sights. For centrally located parks, Daegu Dalseong Park and Duryu Park are good options. We also enjoy exploring the tree-shaded paths around Kyungpook National University, which is also near the river. The closest trail running option is the large park leading to the summit of Aspan Mountain. South of there is some nice road and trail running options at Gachang Dam.

Runner Notes: Daegu summers are very hot and humid — use caution and hydrate!

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Some of our favorite runs in Daegu, South Korea

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Daegu has a seasonal climate, with hot, humid summers and cool, dry winters. From June-September, daytime high temperatures are often above 30C, and nights rarely dip below 22C. And it’s very humid. Spring and autumn are milder and gorgeous, with blossoms and foliage. Winters can be cold, with lows near -3C (26F) and highs near 6C (43F). Most of the 1,000mm (43 inches) of annual rainfall occurs in the summer months.

For easy access to the best running in Daegu, we recommend staying in centrally located hotels close to the river — the area between Highway 11 and Dalseong-ro. There’s a large cluster of hotels in the Dong-gu area, but the running options are lousy there.

 

GROUP RUNS

Synergy Running Crew is the major running group in Daegu. They do group runs Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Daegu Marathon. February. The city’s most important annual running event.