North Korea: North Korea has hosted the Pyongyang International Marathon, for the first time since 2019, drawing around 200 foreign runners to the capital in a rare glimpse of activity in the reclusive state.
The annual race, launched in 1981 to mark the birth anniversary of founding leader Kim Il Sung, had been suspended since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. The last edition before the hiatus saw around 950 foreign participants.
This year’s marathon began and ended at the Kim Il Sung Stadium, where large crowds of spectators cheered from the stands, waving gold-colored paper flags. The route took runners past some of Pyongyang’s major landmarks, including the Arch of Triumph and Mirae Future Scientists’ Street.
Pak Kum Dong, a North Korean participant stated that, “The eyes of our people on me helped me to bear the difficulties whenever I feel tired.”
While no official race results have been made public, travel agencies say the experience remains a rare chance for visitors to interact with locals. Beijing-based Koryo Tours, listed as an official partner of the event, offered six-day packages including flights for $2,406 (approximately €2,195).
Foreign participants were required to enter the country as part of organised tour groups, a practice that was standard even before the pandemic.
North Korea has been cautious in reopening its borders. Aside from allowing limited Russian tourism since last year, it briefly opened the eastern city of Rason to Western tourists earlier this year before suspending access weeks later. This year’s marathon marks a modest but notable shift in North Korea’s post-pandemic engagement with the outside world.
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