Run-trip (KTO) Health-conscious movement inspires Korean runners to explore beyond their go-to neighborhood trailsRunning has long been an easy workout to slot into a travel itinerary for those who hate to skip a workout. Now, it is the reason for the trip.A 2025 survey by Gallup Korea found that 31 percent of respondents had gone jogging or running in the past year, up from 23 percent in 2021. As the base of runners has widened, so has what they want out of it. More are seeking "run-trips," — trips built around the run itself.Trail running has drawn a share of that interest, too."After a year and a half of road running, the thrill was starting to wear off, so I looked for something new and tried trail running. The uphill sections were harder than I expected, and running back down through the forest after reaching the summit was a joy. It wasn't just me. Everyone around me was grinning, and that's when I understood why people do this," said Lee Yeon-jeong, who recently took up the sport. Trail running (KTO) Korea hosts several established events. The North Face 100 Korea Ultra Trail Challenge is a nonstop 100 kilometer race. TransJeju by UTMB sends runners through Hallasan National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site on the volcanic island.The sport has picked up mainstream attention as well. On a recent episode of MBC's "I Live Alone," cartoonist Kian84, singer and actor Minho and Bae Na-ra ran a 7.8 kilometer trail at Iljasan in eastern Seoul.The appeal is not primarily athletic. In an analysis of social media terms associated with run-trips between June 2022 and May 2025 by Sometrend, recovery accounted for the largest share of stated motivations at 50 percent, covering stress relief and time outdoors. Meeting other people accounted for 8 percent and exploring a region 5 percent.The travel industry has moved accordingly.Sono International held Sono Run-trip 180K in Vivaldi Park, which drew about 1,000 runners to the resort in Hongcheon, Gangwon Province, on July 5. The project links 10-kilometer courses at 18 Sono Hotels and Resorts properties into a single route."Thanks to the strong interest and response from participants, the third leg of Sono Run- trip 180K wrapped up successfully. We will continue to combine the infrastructure and content across Sono Hotels and Resorts to offer customers a different kind of brand experience," a Sono International official said.Travel platform MyRealTrip launched a running tour called Run Trip in five cities on June 10. The tours run regularly in London, Paris, Barcelona, Prague and New York, with Korean-speaking local guides leading runners past major landmarks and stopping for photographs along the way. Anyone capable of a light jog can join."The point is not to run fast but to experience a city deeply, to remember the Thames and the Seine with your body rather than your eyes. The goal is a global community of Korean runners who get closer through having run together somewhere unfamiliar," said Lee Hyun-woo, head of Honstrips, which helped develop the tours.