100,000 Trees to Be Planted in Sahel Niger… Hyundai Motor Recruits 6,500 Participants for ‘Forest Run 2026’

Started in 2016, Now Marking Its 10th Edition
Over 250,000 Total Participants

Hyundai Motor Company is recruiting participants for its eco-friendly running campaign, which marks its 10th year in 2026.

On July 16, Hyundai Motor Company announced it will begin accepting applications for “Forest Run 2026,” a running campaign dedicated to a sustainable future.

Since 2016, Hyundai Motor Company has run this eco-friendly social contribution campaign to raise awareness about fine dust and promote cleaner skies, encouraging participants to contribute trees and help create forests.

Previously operated under the name “Longest Run,” the campaign was renamed “Forest Run” starting with the 10th anniversary last year, in order to further emphasize the value of tree planting.

So far, approximately 250,000 participants have joined the campaign, running a cumulative 7.47 million km and planting 30,850 trees.

This year’s “Forest Run 2026” will be held on September 12, starting at the Culture Plaza in Yeouido Park, following a 10 km course that passes Sogang Bridge and its turnaround point.

To commemorate the 11th anniversary of “Forest Run 2026,” Hyundai Motor Company has selected the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), the world’s largest humanitarian agency, as the official donation recipient and will participate in the “Half Moon Project.”

The “Half Moon Project” with the World Food Programme aims to support the long-term restoration of the ecosystem in the Sahel region of West Africa, which has been devastated by desertification, through soil restoration, clean water protection, and agricultural support.

This year, Hyundai Motor Company will significantly increase its per-participant donation. With 6,500 participants, the company plans to plant approximately 100,000 trees in Niger, located in the Sahel region.

Customers wishing to participate in “Forest Run 2026” can purchase a donation entry pass through HyundaiShop starting July 23. The entry fee is 50,000 won, and only 6,500 passes will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis.

A Hyundai Motor Company official stated, “‘Forest Run’ is a running campaign where we run and plant trees with our customers to create a world free from fine dust. As we expand the scale of tree planting this year and collaborate with WFP, we hope more participants will join this meaningful journey toward a sustainable future.”

Meanwhile, under its global CSV (Creating Shared Value) initiative “Hyundai Continue,” Hyundai Motor Company has promoted the eco-friendly “IONIQ Forest” project since 2016, creating forests worldwide to absorb carbon and preserve biodiversity.

Through the global IONIQ Forest project, Hyundai Motor Company planted approximately 500,000 trees by 2023 not only in Korea but also in Brazil, India, the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Last year, in accordance with donations from “Forest Run 2025,” 5,000 lilytree saplings, a species specialized in environmental protection, were relocated and planted in the IONIQ Forest in Uljin for the restoration of areas affected by wildfires.

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