150,000 Won Entry Fee and 'Leftover' Bread Controversy? "Who Is This Marathon For?"

The 2026 JTBC Seoul Marathon, which drew a crowd of 35,000 people on November 1, is facing controversy over various issues.

The first issue to draw criticism was severe traffic congestion.

On the day of the event, vehicle traffic was restricted by section—the full course section from around 7:30 a.m. to around 2 p.m., and the 10-kilometer section from 5 a.m. to 11 a.m.

As major roads were completely controlled for long periods, 190 bus routes were detoured.

Police deployed around 1,800 personnel, including police officers, to minimize traffic confusion, but as citizens' complaints about inconvenience reached a peak, even Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon stepped forward to apologize.

Mayor Oh posted a message on his social media yesterday (November 2), stating, "I take the frustration and inconvenience experienced by citizens heavily," and adding, "Starting from next year's event, we will completely re-negotiate the course and schedule from scratch."

Garbage left unattended around the event venue also drew frowns.

As photos of paper cups and beverage containers piled high in downtown areas such as Jamsil Station and Jongno 5-ga Station after the event were uploaded to social media and other platforms, criticisms of a lack of civic consciousness and poor management by the organizers followed continuously.

On top of this, even the bread provided as a completion souvenir at the event—which cost 150,000 won for the full course entry and 100,000 won for the 10-kilometer entry—became embroiled in controversy.

Because the product's consumption deadline was marked as the day of the event itself, some participants raised suspicions of "inventory disposal."

In response, the sponsoring company explained the quick-freezing storage process, stating, "According to food laws that guide the consumption of thawed products within 24 hours, we indicated the consumption deadline as the day of the event for safety reasons, so that they would not be left at room temperature and consumed."

As the large-scale marathon leaves behind various controversies such as traffic controls and garbage, criticisms are emerging that not only the event organizers but also the Seoul Metropolitan Government level should improve their management systems.

Reported by Lee Hyeon-yeong | Video by Seo Byeong-wook | Graphics by Lee Jeong-ju | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.