2025 Blackyak Club Day Light Trail Review – A Fall Mountain Hike with the Whole Family

Back in April, I had a very satisfying experience participating in the Blackyak Trail Run. Wanting to share that great energy with my family, we decided to all participate in the 2025 Blackyak Club Day held this September, including my sister-in-law's family.

Except for me, everyone was new to trail running, and since we had children with us, we signed up for the Light Trail, which is the easiest course.

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📍 Event Info & Location

• Event Name: 2025 Blackyak Club Day
• Date: September 27, 2025
• Location: Elysian Gangchon, Chuncheon-si, Gangwon-do
• Course: Light Trail

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👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Before the Start – A Buzzing Race Village

The week before the event, we got some joyful news: my sister-in-law was expecting her second child! While it was something to celebrate, hiking was too much for her, so in the end, only my brother-in-law and nephew joined us for this race.

By the time we arrived at Elysian Gangchon, the 20K race was already well underway. The venue was buzzing with energy. While we picked up our race bibs, we even caught a glimpse of the Team Summit athletes making their impressive start.

We found a spot to sit, snacked on the food we'd brought, took some photos, and got ourselves ready at a relaxed pace. When the announcement came for Light Trail participants to gather, we headed over — and quickly realized we might have been the only team with a young child in tow, judging by all the curious looks we got.

🎤 Monthly San Interview

Perhaps because of that, we received an interview request from 'Monthly San'! I did most of the talking during the interview, but a great photo of my brother-in-law and nephew ended up in the article. (Laughs)

View Related Article: Monthly San - 2025 Blackyak Club Day Scene

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🏃 The Race Begins – Running the Slopes!

With the starting signal, the children, caught up in the race atmosphere, gallantly ran up the ski slope hill.

...That enthusiasm lasted exactly as long as the slope did. (Ha!) Once we hit the uphill forest road, their pace dropped dramatically. We settled into a rhythm of walking, resting, and walking some more. The weather was warmer than expected, so we made sure to take it easy and match the kids' pace throughout.

When we hit a flat section before entering Geombongsan, my nephew found his strength again and dashed ahead. I guess flat ground really is best for kids.

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⛰️ The Hardships of Geombongsan and the 'Devil' Sweepers

From the Geombongsan section, we encountered 20K runners coming down from the opposite direction. We moved carefully to avoid getting in their way on the narrow path. We took many breaks while climbing the steep slope.

Before we knew it, the sweepers (staff who follow behind to look after the runners) were right behind us. To keep the kids from getting scared(?), I joked and encouraged them, saying, "Those guys are devils, so it'll be big trouble if you get caught! Let's hang in there just a bit more!"

Near the summit, we were greeted by the inevitable staircase section. I needed to get my Blackyak certification stamp, so I ran ahead. The line at the official certification rock was long, and I was about to give up — until a staff member told us that a photo in front of the banner would count too. We gathered everyone together and snapped a family photo right there.

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🧗 Steep Downhills and the Final Step

After taking a good rest, the downhill began. But the Light Trail was not a course to be taken lightly. It was steep enough that we had to hold onto ropes, and the children struggled quite a bit. I felt a bit sorry, wondering if this kind of mountain terrain was still too much for them.

We made it down to the road and everyone cheered, thinking the hard part was over... but there was one final challenge waiting. To reach the finish line, we had to go back up the slope and then down.

We squeezed out our last bit of strength and crossed the finish line holding hands. The cutoff time had already passed and the awards ceremony was in full swing, but the applause from the crowd around us made the kids stand just a little taller with pride.

Our goal wasn't a ranking but for 'the whole family to finish safely without getting hurt,' so we were fully satisfied just to have made it down safely.

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🍱 Finishing the Race

We took a commemorative photo in front of the record board, rested for a bit, and then moved to have a meal. However, the provided meal was a bit disappointing in terms of quality for the price. If we come again next time, we'll eat out... haha.

Even though my nephew declared right after finishing, "I'm never going hiking with Uncle again!", looking back, it has become a precious memory that we can all talk about with a smile. It was a fun and meaningful fall day.