**After a six-year gap, North Korea has reopened its annual Pyongyang International Marathon, welcoming foreign athletes to experience the country amid its ongoing recovery from pandemic restrictions.**
**North Korea Revives Pyongyang International Marathon After Six-Year Hiatus**
**North Korea Revives Pyongyang International Marathon After Six-Year Hiatus**
**The prestigious race returns with a reduced number of international participants following the pandemic's strict lockdown measures.**
North Korea has made headlines by hosting the Pyongyang International Marathon for the first time in six years, attracting approximately 200 international runners to its capital. This event, established in 1981, typically coincides with the April celebrations of the birth of the country's founder, Kim Il Sung.
The last marathon took place in 2019, where 950 international competitors joined, but the race was suspended the following year as North Korea closed its borders due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Since then, the country has slowly allowed a select number of foreign tourists back in, with Russian visitors permitted to enter since last year.
For the latest 2023 marathon, runners entered North Korea as part of coordinated tour groups, reminiscent of the pre-pandemic framework. Koryo Tours, a Beijing travel agency serving as the event's exclusive partner, has organized six-day packages for participants, priced at 2,195 euros (around $2,406), which includes flights from Beijing. The agency promotes the marathon as a distinctive opportunity to interact with local citizens.
The marathon course featured notable landmarks such as the Kim Il Sung Stadium, the Arch of Triumph commemorating Kim Il Sung’s resistance against Japanese rule, and Mirae Future Scientists' Street, a residential area designated for scientists and engineers. Online images captured enthusiastic spectators filling the stadium, many waving gold-colored flags as runners traversed the scenic route.
Pak Kum Dong, a North Korean participant, expressed the motivation he drew from the support of the local crowd, stating, "The eyes of our people on me helped me to bear the difficulties whenever I feel tired." However, official race results remain undisclosed.
Only in mid-2023 did North Korea begin easing its stringent Covid-19 measures, with a brief period allowing Western tourists into the eastern city of Rason before halting those tours shortly thereafter. The marathon's revival is seen as a significant milestone in the country's incrementally resumed engagement with the outside world.
