Daegu City Tour



Dongdaegu Train Station

 

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Daegu Citytour Bus Stop in front of Dongdaegu Train station



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Daegu City Tour bus inside 



A Bus for Circular Course



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January CITYTOUR SCHEDULE

* The regular city tour will depart from Banwoldang, the theme tour will depart from tourist information center in Duryu park and Palgognsan Rotation bus will depart from Dongdaegu train station.  
*For using Daegu Safety Theme Park, please make a researvation in advance. 11:30am, 12:40pm, 15:20pm is available. Please call at 053)939-0080.
* For more information, please call at 053)627-8900. www.daegucitytour.com

The origin of the Marathon and the reason for 42.195km

Possible one of the most grueling events in the IAAF World Championships is the Marathon. This 42.195km race takes both a mental and physical toll on the competing athletes. This history of this event is just as exciting as the competition its self. The event name comes from the legend of Pheidippides, a Greek messenger who was sent from Marathon to Athens to announce that the Persians had been defeated in the Battle of Marathon. The messenger, so excited by the victory ran the 40km all the way to Athens without stopping and upon his arrival exclaimed “We have won” before collapsing and dying.

The official length of the Marathon has changed over the years, during the first Modern Olympic Games in 1896 the event was contested over a route of approximately 37km. This was changed in 1908 during the Summer Olympic Games in London, where the Marathon Course first measured 40km, starting at Windsor Castle and finishing at the Great White City Stadium. This route was changed because the Princess Victoria Mary wanted her children to watch the start of the race; therefore the Start Line was moved to the East Lawn of Windsor Castle, increasing the course length to 42km. It was then decided that the Finish Line was moved to below the Royal Box, as Queen Alexandra insisted on having the best possible view of the finish. With this addition the length of the 1908 Summer Olympic Games Marathon was set at 42.195km.

The official length was thus set at 42.195km (26 miles 385 yards) as of the 1924 Paris Olympic Games. It has been ruled that the official length of the course must not be less than 42.195km and an extension tolerance shall not exceed 42m or 0.1%.

According to the IAAF’s rules and regulations, the length of the course must be certified in advanced by an IAAF approved course measure and for measurement; the “Calibrated Bicycle Method” shall be used. This method uses a bicycle fitted with a special device known as the Jones Counter.

The Marathon Course for the IAAF World Championships Daegu 2011 will both start and finish at the historic Gukchae-bosang Memorial Park. The course consists of two loops of 15km and one loop of 12.195km around some of the most famous and scenic locations in Downtown Daegu.

Pole Vault: An Event With History

Hey everybody, it’s me Sarbi! I am here to teach you about the Pole Vault!

Though Pole jumping competitions, which were similar to today’s Pole Vault, were hosted by the ancient Greeks and Celts. They event has been recognized by the IOC since 1896 for men and 2000 for women, while the IAAF Confirmed the first records in 1912 and 1992 respectively.

In the beginning the poles were made from very stiff materials including bamboo and aluminum. These poles did not provide the ‘spring’ needed to clear new heights. This led to the introduction of more flexible poles made from fiberglass and carbon fiber. Physically the athletes need not only long legs and arms, but they must also be quick, flexible, and powerful; all of these are for not if the athlete does not have the technical skill required for the event.

It may be surprising to most people that there are no regulations regarding pole length or diameter, just that the athlete’s pole must be available for all athletes in the competition to use. Generally athletes carry a 4.5m long pole with a diameter of 3.5cm. Despite what you might think, a longer pole is not always best. For example Sergey Bubka used a 6m pole to take his World Records, but other athletes using the same pole failed in their attempts.

The Korean Pole Vaulters are expected to do well at the IAAF World Championships Daegu 2011 due to their training regiment which focuses on uniting the mind, body, and pole. Men’s hopeful, Yoo-Suk KIM took the silver medal at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games with a respectable 5.30m tying Leonid Andreev (UZB). Eun-Ji LIM (NR 4.35) and Yun-Hee CHOI are also showing promise after their performances in both National and International Competitions.

Pole Vault History Summary

Men’s
3.30 Welles Hoyt (USA) 10 April 1896 – 1^st Modern Olympic Games
4.02 Marc Wright (USA) 8 June 1912 – First IAAF Recognized WR
6.14 Sergey Bubka (UKR) 31 July 1994 – Current IAAF WR

Women’s
4.60 Stacy Dragila (USA) 25 September 2000 – First Women’s Pole Vault Summer Olympic Event
5.06 Elena Isinbayeva (RUS) 28 August 2009 – Current IAAF WR
4.05 Sun Caiyun (CHN) 21 May 1992 – First IAAF Recognized WR

Marathoners vs. Hills

It is not easy to maintain a constant pace from start to finish, ask any middle or long distance runner. The Marathon is a testament to this as athletes are required to maintain at 19.32kmph pace during their 42.195km run. This is hard enough on a flat surface with little wind resistance but add in a couple hills and a headwind and it is a completely different event.

In order to properly handle a hilly course athletes are required to train for both uphill and downhill runs as they require different muscles. When athletes are exposed to inclines they tend to develop muscle fatigue quickly. To overcome this fatigue, athletes employ speed play or ‘fartlek’ during their training program as well as steady ascending hill raining. Training is also required for downhill running, as it puts much more stress on the athlete’s knees and calves. This is where stride length training and back strength training is further employed. During the downhill runs athletes need to adjust their strides so as not to tire quickly but also so that they may increase speed.

In order to prevent the creation of Marathon Courses deemed ‘too easy,’ designers must make sure that the height of the finish is not lower than 42 metres of the original start height.

The Daegu 2011 modified loop course is measured between 41 and 48 metres. The highest point is near the Suseong Lake Intersection (48.1m) and the lowest height (41.3) is in front of the Jung-Gu Office. Athletes are expected to run quickly as the course is mostly flat except for the uphill entrance of Suseong Lake. However this course is not deemed easy as Daegu’s high temperatures and humidity will certainly play a decisive role in the event’s outcome.

There are two very famous Marathon Hills. The first of which is the ‘Heartbreak Hill’ from the Boston Marathon. In 1936 defending Marathon Champion John A. Kelly (USA) finally caught up to the front runner Ellison “Tarzan” Brown (USA) at the base of this hill. While passing Brown, Kelly gave him a congratulatory pat on the shoulder. This sparked Brown’s competitive drive causing him to surpass Kelly for the win on the infamous “Heartbreak Hill.”

Another well known hill is the Montjuic Hill leading to the Host Venue of the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. On 10 Aug. 1992 Young-Cho Hwang (KOR) was running for history as he competed against Koichi Morishita (JPN) in the final three miles of the Olympic Marathon. Up until this point the two runners had been running side-by-side throughout the race. The two athletes ran their race in a very unique way as they pushed on the hills to break down the other runners. Morishita was able to keep up until the final spurt where Hwang pushed harder and slowly pulled away to eventually take the gold. As soon as Hwang crossed the finish he collapsed and was taken away on a stretcher only to return minutes later to watch his country’s flag be raised on the 56^th anniversary of Kee-Chung Sohn’s Marathon victory.

The 10th IAAF World Championships in Athletics – Helsinki 2005

Welcome back to Helsinki! What better way to celebrate the 10^th anniversary of the IAAF World Championships in Athletics than to host it in its inaugural city! Just 22 years after the first event the Helsinki Olympic Stadium and the citizens welcome back the event.

This year was one full of expectations and USA’s Justin Gatlin fulfilled them. The young athlete was the 2^nd athlete ever to take both the 100m and 200m gold during a single World Championships. The young athlete blistered past his competition in the 100m with a time of 9.88, winning with the largest margin ever, leaving previous Champion Kim Collins with the bronze (10:05).

The 157cm tall American sprinter Lauryn Williams also took home her first Gold medal in the Women’s 100m as she sped past Veronica Campbell-Brown (JAM) and Christine Arron (FRA). Her victory was a touching on as she hoped that her victory would be helpful to her father who was battling leukemia at the time.

In the Women’s 10,000m Ethiopia swept the Awards Podium. It was a family affair as Tirunesh Dibaba took the gold and her older sister Ejegayehu Dibaba secured the bronze. Tirunesh also became the first women ever to take the gold in both the 5,000m and 10,000m in a single IAAF World Championships. Another Ethiopian long-distance runner, Kenenisa Bekele, presented his gold medal to his fiancée’s grave after his victory.

This year Yelena Ishinbayeva took home her first IAAF World Championships Gold Medal in the Women’s Pole Vault breaking her own World Record by 1cm paving the way for her future success.

The Men’s 110mH was a thriller as Liu Xiang (CHN) lost the Gold to Ladji Doucoure by just 1/100^th of a second in the Final.

In a show of extraordinary sportsmanship the Organizing Committee allowed Shot Putter Shaka Sola from Samoa a once in a life time opportunity. The athlete missed his flight to Helsinki and arrived 2 days after his event had finished. He then asked to compete in the Javelin, an event that he had never thrown. The committee allowed the young athlete to throw. During the event he had a max throw of 41.18m, less than half the distance of Sergey Makarov’s Gold Medal throws of 85.08m. Sola was cheered on by the other Javelin athletes as they knew the reason he competed in the event.

Next time we will make our back Japan for the 11^th IAAF World Championships in Athletics. They sure do have a legacy to uphold. See you then!

Delicacies of Daegu

Hello Friends! Today I would like to introduce you to six of Daegu’s unique, yet delicious food!

1. Ttarogukbap

This Daegu speciality is a spicy beef and vegetable soup served with rice. ‘Ttaro’ meaning ‘separate’ and ‘gukbap’ meaning ‘soup and rice’ this dish is literally translated as ‘soup and rice served separately.’ This dish gained popularity in the 1950’s during the Korean War as it keeps you warm with the spiciness of the red pepper and garlic with the succulent taste of beef.

2. Dongin-dong Jjimgalbi

   

In the 1970’s many restaurants began to emerge as lunch time demand from civil servants increased in the Dongin-dong area near the Daegu City Hall. Among the restaurants one menu stood out, jjimgalbi. These restaurants become popular because they were both in great locations and it allowed for the diners to enjoy beef ribs at a relatively affordable price during this time of economic hardship.

This dish boasts a distinctive hot flavor which is accented by garlic, red pepper and herbs. The traditional way to combat this spice is to eat the meal with a piece of refreshing ‘White Water Kimchi.’ The price varies greatly depending on the beef as dishes served with Hanoo (Korean Beef) cost up to 25 USD and those using foreign beef cost approximately 15 USD per serving.

3. Napjak Mandu

This flat dumpling is certainly a Daegu specific food, and is very different compared to other
dumplings in Asia. This crispy dumpling is filled with sweet potato noodles and the occasional green onion and then fried in oil.

It is customary to eat this dumpling with as spicy homemade sauce consisting of soy sauce, pepper, green onion and garlic. This low cost snack is also served with our infamous Shincheon Ddeokbokki which I will tell you about later on.

4. Muchimhwi

Though Daegu is a land locked city there is still a high demand for seafood. With transportation from the sea to Daegu being difficult in the past, distributers developed a way to keep the food fresher longer. The restaurants would steam squid and octopus and mix them with hot pepper powder, garlic, dropwort, and ginger.

This dish is a favorite local appetizer and generally costs less than 10 USD per plate. If you have hankerings for this meal visit the ‘Naedang-dong Bangogae Muchimhwi Street’ which consists of 15 restaurants specializing in this dish.

5. Makchang

This dish might frighten off some individuals after they find out that it is made from pork intestines, but is much like chitterlings in the United States. The preparation is a bit different as it is cooked on a grill/griddle right at your table. This is a favorite nighttime food and is normally accompanied by Soju or beer.

To properly prepare Makchang you must make sure that when you grill it is both crispy on the outside while staying soft like a marshmallow on in inside. After it is finished pluck it from the hot grill and eat it with a slice of garlic, green onion, and soybean sauce.

Because of it’s popularity there are many Makchang restaurants in Daegu, costing normally 4~6 USD per serving. If you decide to have Makchang while you are in Korea, Daegu is surely the place to try it.

6. Shincheon Ddeokbokki

  

Ddeokbokki is a dish well known throughout Korea, especially by high school and university students, due to its affordability. This classic food is prepared by boiling rice cakes in a combination of cabbage and red pepper paste. This snack was originally reserved as a Royal Food but it is now enjoyed by everyone.

Unlike other versions on Ddeokbokki, Shincheon Ddeokbokki has no sweet flavor, only spicy. This version is very unique in Korea and many people become addicted to its hot and spicy flavor. Shincheon Ddeokbokki is normally served with Odeng (Fried Fish Cakes), Kimbab, Napjak Mandu, and a cool fruit juice.

Ok-Yeon YOON (71) has been preparing and selling Shincheon Ddeokbokki for over 30 years now and has become somewhat of a local celebrity and now has over 20 restaurant branches around the city. She is the only one who knows the secret family recipe for the signature red pepper paste. This is odd because she is not keen on spicy foods. Her shop has since disappeared due to redevelopment and has decided not to sell the dish on her own, but she still makes the original sauce every day.

In addition to the food that I have introduced today, there are many other unique and delicious foods to try in Daegu. You can find more information about our delicacies at http://www.daegufood.co.kr/.

  

I hope you enjoy our food and culture during your stay!

The 9th IAAF World Championships in Athletics – Paris 2003

We have now returned to Europe after the successful hosting of the 2001 IAAF World Championships in Edmonton, Canada. The focus is now on the 9^th Host City of Paris, France! The event was held in Saint-Dennis, a northern suburb of Paris.

The city’s name has very interesting origins as it was named after the first Bishop of Paris who was martyred in 250 A.D. According to local legend the decapitated Bishop walked 10km with his head in his hand preaching the sermon until he finally fell. The Bishop’s grave and the Abbey of Saint-Denis are very popular tourist attractions.

The host venue for this event was the beautiful Stade de France, which was built to host the 1998 FIFA World Cup. The stadium’s construction began in 1995 and only took 30 months to be completed. Unlike many of the other stadium’s, this venue has only had one name change, during the initial construction period it was named ‘Grand Stade’ but this was changed after a recommendation from French football legend Michel Platini who suggested ‘Stade de France.’

The results from the Paris Championships were both shocking and exciting. The Men’s 100m was one of the largest upsets in IAAF World Championships history as 100m Champion Maurice Greene was thought to easily take his 4^th Gold in the Men’s 100m in the IAAF World Championships until an unexpected injury in the semi-finals. Kim Collins from St. Kitts and Nevis, a small federation in the Carribean, took the gold in 10.07s.

Due to doping charges the 100m Queen Marion Jones was absent from the 2010 World Championships and was replaced by Torri Edwards (USA) in the event where she took the Gold the Women’s 100m and Silver in the 200m.

In the Women’s Pole Vault, rising start Svetlana Feofanova (RUS) out did USA’s Stacy Dragila taking the gold in the event. This event also marked the beginning of Elena Ishinbayeva’s illustrious career with her taking the Bronze in the event; her first ever IAAF World Championships Medal.

Great Britain’s legendary Triple Jumper, Jonathan Edwards, also competed in his final event this year with a 16.31m jump in his final competition.

This year Korean National Marathoner Bong-Jun LEE finally competed in the IAAF World Championships after opting out in 2001. The hopeful maintained the lead in his group until the middle of the race but was not able to push through in the final length resulting in a still respectable 11^th place.

The 9^th IAAF World Championships in Athletics was overall a great success with many twists and surprises in the athletes’ performances. Next time I will see you in Helsinki, Finland for the next edition of the IAAF World Championships in Athletics.