Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, Gyeongju City, and the Gyeongbuk Culture & Tourism Organization (President Kim Nam-il, hereinafter referred to as the Corporation) announced that they will hold the ‘Bomun Night Run with Wally’ event around the Bomun Lake Resort area in Gyeongju on October 31st to celebrate the “1st anniversary of the 2025 APEC Summit.”
This event is a unique sports tourism program that combines sports, tourism, and night-time contents, set against the backdrop of Bomun Lake Resort, Gyeongju's representative tourist destination. In particular, in collaboration with the globally popular character ‘Where’s Wally?’, participants will dress up as Wally and create a unique spectacle as they run and walk through the beautiful autumn night scenery of Bomun Lake.
The event will be operated on a scale of 5,000 participants across two divisions: a 10km running course and a 5km slow-running course. Participants will pass through major tourism facilities and the Bomun Lake area of Bomun Lake Resort, enjoying Gyeongju's night view and lakeside scenery. At the event site, photo zones utilizing the Wally character, participant-participatory events, and food trucks will be provided to offer various things to enjoy alongside the race.
This event will unfold even more richly in connection with special programs commemorating the 1st anniversary of the 2025 APEC Summit. Along with the running event, a drone light show and a spectacular fireworks display that will embroider the night sky of Bomun Lake Resort will be held together, providing rich spectacles to participants as well as tourists visiting Gyeongju.
Registration for the ‘Bomun Night Run with Wally’ is underway through the Naver Plus Store app, divided into the 5km slow-running and 10km running categories. On the first day of ticketing, the 5km slow-running course sold out early amid enthusiastic interest from participants. The Corporation expects that the remaining 10km course will also sell out at a fast pace. Detailed participation methods and event information can be checked through the official sales page (refer to the QR code).
Through this event, the Corporation plans to foster it as Gyeongju's representative signature night-time sports tourism content by combining running, global character IP (Intellectual Property), and night-time tourism contents with the lakeside scenery and tourism infrastructure of Bomun Lake Resort. In addition, it is expected to contribute to revitalizing the local economy by encouraging participants to stay in Gyeongju before and after the event and utilize accommodations, food and beverage, and tourism facilities.
Kim Nam-il, President of the Gyeongbuk Culture & Tourism Organization, said, “The Bomun Night Run is an event designed so that people can enjoy sports and tourism simultaneously by utilizing the splendid scenery and tourism infrastructure of Bomun Lake.” He added, “Using this event as an opportunity, we will do our best to create new night-time tourism demand in Bomun Lake Resort and provide substantial help to the local tourism industry.”
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