On Sunday 6 April, North Korea was the stage of its first International marathon since 2019. Around 200 foreign runners participated in the Pyongyang International Marathon.
The Pyongyang International Marathon had been around since 1981, when it was first organised in the month of April in order to celebrate the birthday of the country’s founding leader Kim Il Sung on 15 April. The 2019 marathon welcomed 950 foreign runners but also temporarily marked the end of the event as, when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, the already reclusive national shut its borders.
Since then, North Korea has been slow to reopen its borders to foreigners. In 2024, Russian tourists were the first to be allowed back in and at the start of 2025, new group tours for tourists were introduced and then once again quickly suspended.
Those who participated in the marathon on Sunday (whether in the 5K, 10K, Half or Full Marathon) were also obliged to do so by participating through an organised group tour. A six-day marathon tour by official partner Koryo Tours, a Beijing-based travel agency, costs € 2,195, including flights to and from Beijing. During the marathon, runners ran past some of Pyongyang’s highlights such as the Kim Il Sung Stadium, the Arch of Triumph, and the Mirae Future Scientists’ Street.
“The Pyongyang Marathon is an extremely unique experience as it provides an opportunity to interact with locals. An experience truly like no other,” Koryo Tours wrote on its website.
According to state media KCNA news agency, those who participated came from China, Romania, Ethiopia, and other destinations around the world. Koryo Tours stated the Kim Il Sung Stadium where the athletes finished the race was with a crowd of 50,000 locals.
Official race results haven’t been shared but according to marathons.fr, North Korean runner Pak Kum Dong won the gold metal. Ethiopian Bekele Metaferia ended second, while another North Korean national Kwang Myong Jon completed the top three. The women’s race was won by North Korean runner Jon Su Gyong. North Koreans Choe Il Gyong and ChaJu Kwon ended second and third, respectively.
