**North Korea's capital hosted the Pyongyang International Marathon, marking the first time in six years that foreign runners celebrated the event, featuring sights and local interactions.**
**North Korea Revives Pyongyang Marathon After Six-Year Hiatus**
**North Korea Revives Pyongyang Marathon After Six-Year Hiatus**
**The event attracts international runners and showcases the capital's historic sites.**
North Korea has reintroduced the Pyongyang International Marathon, welcoming approximately 200 foreign runners for the first time in six years. This annual event, which was first established in 1981 in honor of founding leader Kim Il Sung's birthday, was last held in 2019 before the country shut down due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
With limited international access throughout the pandemic, North Korea kept its borders tightly controlled, opening up only to Russian tourists for the past year. As per earlier arrangements, foreign participants in the marathon had to enter the country through organized tours, with Koryo Tours, a Beijing-based travel agency, offering comprehensive packages priced at 2,195 euros ($2,406), inclusive of flights from Beijing.
The marathon's course took runners past several notable sites in Pyongyang, such as the Kim Il Sung Stadium, the Arch of Triumph—a monument commemorating the nation's resistance against Japanese rule—and the Mirae Future Scientists' Street, a residential area for scholars. Video footage from the event highlighted an enthusiastic atmosphere, with spectators cheering and waving gold-coloured flags.
North Korean runner Pak Kum Dong expressed his motivation, saying, "The eyes of our people on me helped me to bear the difficulties whenever I feel tired." However, results from the race have not been disclosed publicly. After beginning to ease Covid-19 restrictions in mid-2023, North Korea permitted a small number of Western tourists to visit earlier this year, although those excursions were short-lived.
With limited international access throughout the pandemic, North Korea kept its borders tightly controlled, opening up only to Russian tourists for the past year. As per earlier arrangements, foreign participants in the marathon had to enter the country through organized tours, with Koryo Tours, a Beijing-based travel agency, offering comprehensive packages priced at 2,195 euros ($2,406), inclusive of flights from Beijing.
The marathon's course took runners past several notable sites in Pyongyang, such as the Kim Il Sung Stadium, the Arch of Triumph—a monument commemorating the nation's resistance against Japanese rule—and the Mirae Future Scientists' Street, a residential area for scholars. Video footage from the event highlighted an enthusiastic atmosphere, with spectators cheering and waving gold-coloured flags.
North Korean runner Pak Kum Dong expressed his motivation, saying, "The eyes of our people on me helped me to bear the difficulties whenever I feel tired." However, results from the race have not been disclosed publicly. After beginning to ease Covid-19 restrictions in mid-2023, North Korea permitted a small number of Western tourists to visit earlier this year, although those excursions were short-lived.
