BUSAN — Busan has opened new runner support facilities at Geumnyeonsan subway station and APEC Naru Park, bringing to five the number of sites where residents can prepare for or wind down from running, cycling and other everyday exercise.
The facilities are neighborhood-level amenities equipped with changing rooms and lockers, the Busan Metropolitan Government said on the 20th. The city opened its first site at Dadaepo in March, then added supplementary facilities at Busan Citizens Park and North Port Waterfront Park in May. The two newest sites opened this month.
The Geumnyeonsan station facility sits inside a Line 2 subway station, giving it strong public transit access. The city expects it to serve people running along Gwangalli Beach and trail runners on Geumnyeonsan. The APEC Naru Park facility offers a convenient place to rest before and after exercise for those using the walking paths and pedestrian bridge along the Suyeong River.
The city plans to drive use of the facilities by linking them to resident participation programs. It will provide amenities to participants in the Run Busan Running Crew, which gathers weekly around APEC Naru Park, and on the 23rd it will hold a running program at Samik Beach Waterfront Park to mark the opening of the Geumnyeonsan station site.
On Nov. 14, the city will hold the Run Busan Running Festival around North Port Waterfront Park. On Dec. 6, it plans to stage the Busan Bridge Marathon, a World Athletics-certified race linking the Gwangan, Busan Harbor and Namhang bridges.
"We hope the runner support facilities make exercise more convenient for residents and help spread running as part of daily life," said Nam Jeong-eun, director general of the city's sports bureau. "We will continue to expand neighborhood-level sports facilities that make use of idle space."