The Seoul Marathon is scheduled for March 16. Shown are runners in last year's race on March 17 energetically starting the race at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul. (Yonhap News)

By Charles Audouin 

A combined 40,000 marathoners on March 16 will run through the heart of Seoul.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government on March 11 said this year's Seoul Marathon will start at Gwanghwamun Square in the city's Jongno-gu District and end at Jamsil Sports Complex in Songpa-gu District.

Some 40,000 runners from 66 countries will take part in the race, including several of the world's top marathoners aiming to set records. Headlining the 170 athletes from seven countries to compete are Kenya's Bernard Koech, who won the Haspa Marathon Hamburg of Germany last year with a time of 2 hours, 4 minutes and 9 seconds, and Ethiopia's Jemal Mekonnen, who claimed last year's Seoul Marathon with a time of 2 hours, 6 minutes and 8 seconds.

The course starts at Gwanghwamun Square and passes through Namdaemun Gate, Euljiro, Jongno, a five-way intersection in the Sinseol-dong neighborhood, Gunja Station, Children's Grand Park, Seoul Forest, Jamsil Bridge and the intersection at Jamsil Station before finishing at Seoul Sports Complex. A 10-km course from the complex to Garak Market Station will be for beginners. 

To start at 8 a.m., the marathon will be livestreamed on the city government's YouTube channel (@seoullive).

"The Seoul Marathon is a world-class competition and the only platinum label marathon in Korea certified by World Athletics," the city said. "We will dispatch a large number of safety personnel at each starting point and throughout the course to minimize congestion and comprehensively prevent safety incidents caused by crowds."

For more information on the race and traffic control, call the 120 Dasan Seoul Call Center (+82-2-120) or click the marathon's official website (seoul-marhon.com).