Abstract

PURPOSE This study examined the marathon boom in contemporary Korean society through Baudrillard’s concepts of simulacra, signs, and difference. Specifically, it identified consumerist meanings and sign consumption patterns associated with marathon participation from the perspective of female runners. METHODS Fifteen female marathoners in their 20s and 30s who have participated in at least three marathons and have been actively involved in running-related social media activities were recruited through purposive sampling. Data were obtained from two rounds of in-depth interviews (including photo elicitation) and participant observation during marathon events. Thematic analysis was performed based on Baudrillard’s theoretical framework. RESULTS First, the traditional competitive image of marathons has shifted toward a consumer-oriented leisure activity that features different race distances and festival-like elements, illustrating the replacement of its original reality with the simulacrum of running. Second, participants treated medals and souvenirs not as mere tokens of participation but as symbols of achievement, health, and self-management and identified design, size, and brand value as key criteria for selecting events. Third, sharing photos, certification posts, and other social media practices functioned as a means of expressing social differences and concurrently as a tool for constructing a collective identity, positioning marathon participation as a setting where sign consumption facilitates social differentiation. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrated the evolution of marathon participation in contemporary Korean society from mere physical activity to a symbolic practice of sign consumption in which individuals construct and express their identities and social positions. The findings highlight how cultural meanings of marathons change as they are increasingly integrated into consumer society.