AirAsia HYROX Seoul 2026

Your weekend in Goyang, mapped

Hotels near the venue, gyms for a shakeout session, where to fuel up and where to recover.

Like a local

Local insights for Goyang

The things a friend who lives here would tell you before race weekend.

• Go to KINTEX, not COEX

  The 2025 Seoul race was at COEX in Gangnam. This year it is at KINTEX in Goyang, on the other side of the city, so double-check your map pin before you leave.

• Get a T-money card and carry won to top it up

  Buy one at a GS25, CU, 7-Eleven or subway ticket machine. Top-ups are in ₩1,000 units, and station machines and convenience stores mostly want cash for them. You can't tap a foreign bank card at the gates yet. Seoul plans to start that in 2027. Since March 2026, foreign Visa and Mastercard cards can buy short-term Climate Card passes at subway machines, but those passes don't cover GTX-A or airport buses.

• Use Naver Map or KakaoMap, not Google Maps

  Google Maps in Korea gives transit routes but not proper walking directions. Install Naver Map for transit and walking and KakaoMap as a backup. Kakao T is the go-to taxi app: you set your destination in the app and pay by card, so you don't have to explain where you're going. Setting it up with a foreign card can be fiddly, so keep some cash too.

• Book your ride home

  Taxis are hard to find at KINTEX after big events. If you're leaving late, plan for GTX-A or the 9703 bus, or prebook a taxi.

• Convenience stores are your fuel station

  Every GS25 and CU sells samgak gimbap, a triangle rice ball with a one-day shelf life and about 140 to 200 kcal. They also stock sports drinks and bottled water. Pack your own gels, since you won't find them on most shelves.

• Jjimjilbang etiquette

  Bathing areas are separated by gender. Shower before you get in the tubs, and wear the T-shirt and shorts they give you in the shared areas. You store your shoes in one locker and swap that key for a clothes locker.

• Don't tip

  Tipping isn't customary in Korea, and restaurants aren't allowed to add a service charge on top of the menu prices.

• Tap water is fine, but locals drink bottled

  Seoul tests its Arisu tap water against 350 criteria, but many residents still drink bottled or filtered water because of old building pipes.

Getting to KINTEX

• From Incheon International Airport

  Airport limousine bus 5600 runs from Terminals 1 and 2 to the "KINTEX Exhibition Center 1" stop. A concert-ticketing guide lists the last 5600 back to the airport at 7:50 PM, so check the current timetable if you're flying out on race night.

• From Gimpo Airport

  Take the Seohae Line toward Daegok, change to Line 3 at Daegok and get off at Daehwa, then walk about 15 minutes or hop on a local bus.

• From central Seoul

  GTX-A runs from Seoul Station to KINTEX station in about 17 minutes with no transfers. From Exit 1, walk past the Hyundai Motorstudio Goyang building and cross the road, and the venue is right ahead. Wide-area bus 9703 links Seoul Station with KINTEX Exhibition Hall 2 every 25 minutes or so from 5:00 AM to 11:00 PM. Bus M7731 runs direct from Hongik University station, and bus 1100 runs from Gwanghwamun.

Race-day tips for KINTEX

1. 1

   Dress for cold mornings

   Seoul's November averages are a high of about 12°C (54°F) and a low of about 3.5°C (38°F). Bring a warm layer for the walk from the station and the wait before your wave.

2. 2

   Bring photo ID

   You'll need it at check-in, and athletes get wristband entry to the hall only on their own race day. On any other day you'll need a spectator ticket.

3. 3

   Check your hall before you pick a bus

   KINTEX is huge. Bus 3030 stops at Hall 1 and bus 9703 at Hall 2, so confirm your hall in the athlete information to avoid a long walk.

4. 4

   Watch for your start time

   HYROX publishes wave times about three days out. Late waves run to about 8:00 PM, after the last 5600 bus to Incheon Airport has left.