The Bukhangang Ultra Marathon was canceled a little over 10 days before it was to be held. After the Seoul Hangang Ultra Marathon fell through because it failed to obtain approval from the local government, this race also was called off due to incomplete administrative procedures.
The Bukhangang Ultra Marathon organizing committee on the 16th posted a "notice of cancellation and apology" and said, "We have unavoidably decided to cancel the Bukhangang Ultra Marathon, which was scheduled for June 27." The committee said, "There is no excuse for the confusion and disappointment caused by our inadequate completion of the administrative procedures," adding, "We take full responsibility."
The committee said it would cancel all entry fee payments to prevent financial loss to participants. It added, "We will take this as a painful lesson, thoroughly reinforce administrative procedures and safety measures going forward, and return as a more trusted event."
The first apology posted by the committee included a more detailed explanation for the cancellation. The committee said it consulted with the local government on the course and sought administrative approval, but the race fell through during final coordination. It also said, "Recently, standards for river park occupancy permits and safety management by the relevant authorities have been greatly strengthened."
Those who had applied to participate reacted on social media (SNS), asking, "Did you recruit participants without even getting approval?" and "Why did you announce the event when you hadn't properly followed procedures?" A committee official said, "We communicated with applicants before announcing the cancellation."
An ultramarathon is a race covering a longer distance than a standard marathon full course (42.195 kilometers). Because courses often cross multiple jurisdictions, prior consultation with local governments is essential. When using parks, riverbanks, or bike paths, organizers must also obtain permits for facility use and occupancy.
However, cases of organizers pushing ahead without local government approval and then having events fall through are recurring. The Seoul Hangang Ultra Marathon, which was to be held on the 16th of last month, also recruited participants without securing course approval from the Seoul city government and was canceled the day before the race.
An official at a basic local government in Gyeonggi Province said, "For a marathon, procedures including facility use, bike path occupancy permits, and safety approval under the Sports for All Act must be followed," adding, "It is inappropriate to recruit participants while skipping these steps and saying you will hold the event."