2025 Han River Cross Swimming Challenge: A Completion Review
2025 Han River Cross Swimming Challenge: Completion Review
Han River cross swimming challenge
The Han River Cross Swimming Challenge, which had its fair share of ups and downs, is finally over!
The event, nicknamed 'Han River Cross Swim,' is finally complete!
It was postponed twice due to weather issues, and if there were problems with the weather this time, it would have been pushed back to next year.
So I desperately hoped it wouldn't rain, and fortunately, the weather was good, so we were able to proceed with the event!
Finding the Han River Cross Swimming Event Venue: Parking Tips
A well-prepared friend booked parking at the Tower 730 building, so we walked to the Han River, and it turned out to be a brilliant move!
After parking, a 15-minute walk across the Jamsil Bridge led us to an elevator with a Han River Cross Swim banner!
Taking this elevator down leads directly to the event venue, which was already packed with parked cars. Unless you arrive early, I recommend using public transportation or parking in nearby parking lots like we did!
After on-site registration:
Receiving a swim cap & towel souvenir
I was in Group F, and we were scheduled to enter the water at 2 PM, so I decided to arrive about an hour early to look around!
At the on-site registration booth:
You write your participant number on a waiver and a small piece of paper
and submit it with your ID to receive a swim cap and towel!
The swim cap colors vary depending on the group.
Our group's color was hot pink, which was a bit much at first,
but it looked pretty the more I saw it. lol
I probably wouldn't buy a neon pink swim cap with my own money,
but it's not bad to have one.
There were also separate changing room booths for men and women,
so you can change your clothes here after finishing.
There was a large industrial fan, but
the weather was so humid and hot that day that I was
sweating buckets even in the short time it took to change clothes...
They held small event games every time each group was switched, and I thought the MC must have been really tired. lol
If you went up on that stage and danced, they gave away swimming gear like fins, goggles, and swimsuits as prizes.
It was fun to watch. lol
Participating in small on-site events
(Side Kick fins)
There was a Side Kick fins booth and a Zoggs goggles booth on site.
The Side Kick booth was offering on-site discounts on fins and had an Instagram event,
so I received a pretty Side Kick fins key ring!
It's so cute ㅠㅠㅠ
I hope there are more diverse booths next year.
1,800m Han River Swim
First Open Water Completion Review
First of all, what I felt first was that it looked really long.
They say it's 1,800m round trip
(but according to what others have recorded on their watches, it's about 1,300m)
It's a different feeling than swimming 2,000 meters in a 25-meter or 50-meter swimming pool.
Still, I was glad I brought my fins.
And there were many safety personnel stationed in the middle,
so I felt safe, and since the organizers provided buoys,
there was practically no risk of drowning, so I wasn't too worried. lol
While swimming, some people who were struggling hugged their buoys
and came comfortably with breaststroke kicks.
However, it was really impossible to secure visibility LOL.
I only saw dark green water, and you could only see people if they were really close to you.
I gave up on visibility.
When I came out, volunteers put a medal around my neck and gave me Tsingtao non-alcoholic beer, red ginseng balls, and water.
If you go to the certificate distribution point and receive your completion certificate,
the Han River Cross Swim event is complete!
I took commemorative photos at the event site and it's really over!
One of the bucket list items I created while swimming
is over like this! Next year, I definitely want to participate in the festival at a leisurely pace, and I want to participate in the Han River Cross Swim again without fins.
Finding the Han River Cross Swimming Event Venue: Parking Tips
After on-site registration:Receiving a swim cap & towel souvenir
Participating in small on-site events(Side Kick fins)
1,800m Han River Swim First Open Water Completion Review
No comments yet.
