(Chuncheon = Yonhap News) Reporter Kang Tae-hyeon = Behind the powerful steps of runners running along the Bukhan River, there were people who guarded intersections from early in the morning, filled water fountains, and helped them complete the race safely.
At the '2026 Chuncheon Joint Marathon' held in Gangchon, Elysian, Namsan-myeon, Chuncheon-si, Gangwon-do on the 3rd, National Foundation Day, about 300 people, including autonomous crime prevention officers, Korean Scout Federation volunteers, and police, were deployed to monitor the safety of participants.
◇ Watch from above and protect on the road... a tight safety net
The organizer, The Pickt, supported the ‘Safe Race’ by operating a drone control system this year as well as last year.
To ensure safe flights, The Pickt built a 3D map containing information on the terrain and structures around the course prior to the competition and reflected it on the control platform.
Through this, the drone flight altitude was drastically lowered from 100 to 150 m to 20 to 30 m, making it possible to operate the drone closer to the runners and monitor safety.
The Pickt deployed two drones operated at an unmanned drone station and one general industrial drone to focus on the starting point where participants flock, before and after entering the bridge, and the water supply section where they gather to drink water.
The drone moved along the course to check on participants who were behind, and when it received a radio signal that an abnormal situation such as an injury occurred at the site, it quickly moved to the relevant point to check the situation.
A system was also established to transmit any unusual issues discovered during the control process to the competition organizing committee using Long Term Evolution (LTE, 4th generation mobile communication) radios so that on-site personnel could respond.
Two unmanned drones used thermal imaging functions to check whether any participants had a rapid increase in body temperature.
On land, 30 people, including traffic police and riot police, were distributed throughout the course.
In particular, as this year's half course included some sections of national highways such as Chunseong Bridge connecting Namsan-myeon and Seomyeon, the police focused on safety management in those sections.
Park Ki-jun, head of the traffic management section at the Chuncheon Police Station, explained, “We paid the most attention to the safety of the section where vehicles and runners move side by side,” and added, “We completely controlled vehicle traffic on the 5km and 10km courses to ensure that participants could safely participate in the race.”
It was confirmed that most of the half course participants passed Chunseong Bridge safely around 10 a.m. on this day and that there were no major accidents.
Five ambulances were deployed, one following the runners, and the remaining four were deployed throughout the site to prepare for emergency situations.
◇ From a glass of water to the runner behind... Helping hands to complete the race
Residents of the Gangchon area and volunteer workers from all over the country also helped run the event safely.
75 members of Chuncheon City's autonomous crime prevention unit gathered at the event venue early in the morning to control vehicles and guide traffic at key points.
In addition to ensuring the safety of participants, the crime prevention team also played a role in reducing inconvenience to residents due to road restrictions.
Prior to the competition, we delivered the control plan to village heads and asked for their cooperation in advance, including announcing it through village broadcasting.
Kim Han-ki, deputy head of Chuncheon City's autonomous crime prevention unit, emphasized, "The Gangchon area is declining compared to before, so small business owners and others are having difficulties," and added, "We will support a safe competition so that the marathon can establish itself as a competition that benefits the region."
The Korean Scout Federation also contributed to the operation of the event by deploying about 100 volunteers to the storage area, water station, and medal distribution station.
Volunteers handed out water cups one after another as runners flocked in, and other volunteers joined in by filling cups in empty seats.
Volunteers came from all over the country, including Daegu and Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, to help participants complete the race.
The federation increased the number of volunteers compared to last year and deployed personnel not only at water fountains but also at places to provide drinking water within the event venue to prevent participants from crowding in at once.
In addition, about 70 Namsan-myeon residents cheered on the participants and were stationed throughout the course to ensure safety, and 23 officials from the Chuncheon City Athletics Federation also participated as referees and helped with the operation and progress of the game.
