JEJU (South Korea) — Stephen Leong tightened the laces of his running shoes, adjusted his running vest, and tapped the pocket of his shorts to make sure his inhaler was still there.

The 47-year-old Singaporean is asthmatic, but that was never going to stop him from enjoying the vivid sights and sounds of the Jeju Mandarin International Marathon last month.

Leong, who signed up for the half-marathon, joined nine other Singaporeans to make the trip to the South Korean city as part of Dynasty Travel’s seven-day, five-night sports tour package.

On a sunny race-day morning, ahead of the 9.30am flag-off, there was a light breeze as temperatures hovered at a cool 21°C. There, the Singapore tourists were mesmerised by the carnival-like scene at the marathon venue in Seogwipo.

Two large rainbow-coloured balloons lofted above the starting and finishing line of the 13th edition of the event, against the backdrop of the scenic Jeju World Cup Stadium —designed like the mouth of a volcano with its roof fashioned to resemble the nets of the traditional fishing boats in Jeju.

The atmosphere was unmistakably Korean, with cute, high-spirited young girls taking to the stage to lead the crowd in a mass pre-race warm-up of popular K-pop dance moves. Runners were also treated to a Korean traditional dance by a group of performers in their hanboks.

But what was also unique to marathons in South Korea was the row of tents along the starting line, which were especially popular with the foreign participants from China, Singapore, Taiwan, Australia and Kenya.

Some tents offered bite-sized traditional Korean food, others were games stations. There was also a booth that allows you a free medical check-up, and another to sign up for the Guam International Marathon in April 2016.

While the race course proved to be hilly with many ascents and descents, the Korean girls cheering the runners on at every station shouting “hwaiting” (or “fighting”) provided inspiration, as did the bountiful orchards of autumn flowers and mandarin oranges lining the route.

The mandarin oranges were quite a sight, as they are in their full glory at this time of the year. And you do not need to wonder whether you can pluck some along the way. All 424 foreign participants of the more than 5,200 runners at the event were given 5kg of oranges each as a reward for completing the race. This was on top of some milk and biscuits, and the finisher’s medal and certificate.

It is this unique experience of competing at overseas marathons that draws more and more Singaporeans, such as Leong, along with his tour group — comprising a pair of twins Agmer and Amelia Lee and their elder sister, a family of four, and a mother-daughter pair — to take the trip and bond over an autumn holiday.

Sixteen other Singaporeans also took part in the Jeju Mandarin International Marathon this year — which Dynasty Travel offers at S$1,588 a participant, excluding taxes and other fees — but did not sign up with any tour agency.

Dynasty Travel, in partnership with the Korea Tourism Organisation, also took 10 Singaporeans to the previous edition of the Jeju event last year. This year it added the Chosunilbo Chuncheon International Marathon — one of 11 marathons in South Korea — to its offerings. Ten Singaporeans went on that trip. There are plans to add other races, such as the Gyeongju Cherry Blossom Marathon and the DMZ International Peace Marathon, in the future.

“These sports tourism tours are definitely gaining traction in recent years. It is fuss-free, and you don’t have to worry about signing up for the race, getting to the venue, booking a hotel nearby, and covering all the main attractions,” said Leong, who took part in seven other marathons prior to the Jeju event, where he completed the half-marathon in 2 hours 17 minutes.

“After a while, you get jaded of the running routes in Singapore, which circle around the same few places. The weather in Singapore is hot and humid as well, and that is also why some of us want to get out and experience running at a cooler climate.”

Agmer, 34, agreed. “What is even better is that the tour package allows me to enjoy the new experience with like-minded individuals from the same country.”

Agmer takes part in three to four running events in Singapore every year with sister Amelia, but has never been to a marathon overseas before Jeju, where they signed up for the 10km category. “It is definitely worth the price,” Agmer said. “We enjoyed it thoroughly, including the two days of shopping in Seoul that they took us to!”

O Tae Hyun, a South Korean journalist from newspaper Hankook Ilbo, told TODAY that with South Korea having no more reported cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome in the past four months, visitor numbers to the country have picked up.