We're a little more than two weeks away from the Honolulu Marathon.
The event is always a draw for Japanese tourists, but this year there running news from neighboring South Korea. Runners are taking over the streets of Seoul.
OK, that's a little dramatic, but the Korea Herald reports that the number of running groups has exploded around the country over the past year, especially in the national capital.
Last year a running group sponsored by the city government had about 300 members. Now it's got nearly a thousand. Members usually meet at a particular place and time, and take off running — sometimes in large numbers.
One sports complex with five running lanes recently put up signs saying groups should be limited to five people, with a gap of at least 2 meters, or about 6.5 feet, between runners.
Business journalists report a related development: a boom in the sale of running shoes. The Joong-Ang Daily quotes figures from the fashion brand Musinsa showing that national sales of running shoes in September were up 80% from a year earlier.
Popularity is one aspect, but civility is another. Social media is full of complaints about running groups or “crews” clogging narrow sidewalks, rudely pushing aside pedestrians and generally behaving badly.
Critical comments published in the Chosun Daily include one calling the running club meetups “such a thoughtless social gathering," and another asking “How is this any different from a motorcycle gang?”
