After six years of silence, Pyongyang’s streets became alive again with the International Marathon of North Korea, easier said than done, as it took in about 200 foreign runners in this rare sporting event on Sunday.
The Pyongyang Marathon, which started in 1981, is a customary April race commemorating the birth of the founding leader Kim Il Sung. But it has been absent since 2019-the pandemic affected yet another event that used to work across borders and travel.
In that instance, nearly 950 international participants made their way to the race. Then came 2020, and under tighter-than-usual regulations, barbed by its policy, North Korea cut off its borders.
The running event resurfaced in the pandemic as restrictions gently eased, but in smaller dimensions. Foreign memberships were subject to organized tour groups rather expected requirement for many who have previously traveled to the realm. Russian tourists were the first foreign tourists allowed back to the capital last year, marking early steps towards reopening.
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The Pyongyang Marathon and Koryo Tours (a Beijing-based travel agency and the exclusive partner of the marathon) are now offering a six-day run package, price-tagged to €2,195 (almost $2,406) inclusive of round-trip airfares from Beijing.
A picturesque, symbolic race ran through downtown this year. Runners sped past historically significant sites, such as the Kim Il Sung Stadium and the Arch of Triumph, to the new Mirae Scientists’ Street, where scientists and engineers are mapping out the country’s dreams of progress.
Some images scrolling across social platforms show the rare and vibrant atmosphere: the stadium full of locals waving glistening gold flags while runners dashed past. This moment made a rare splash of color in a city mostly recognized for its secrets.
Local athlete Pak Kum Dong said after the run, “Whenever I felt tired, I looked at the eyes of our people watching me, and it gave me strength.”
As for the final results of the race? True to North Korean style, they remain a secret, with no official rankings released to the public.
