Imagine running a marathon in a country that’s largely off-limits to the outside world.
For the first time in six years, North Korea opened its doors to foreign runners for the Pyongyang International Marathon.
The race featured an unusual mix of athleticism and political symbolism.
Around 200 international athletes, including competitors from China and Romania, gathered in Pyongyang this Sunday.
This event, which has traditionally celebrated the birthday of Kim Il Sung, the country’s founding leader, had been put on pause after 2019 due to the pandemic.
But What Now?
But now, with borders reopening, a fresh group of runners have been invited to take part, and the streets of Pyongyang are once again buzzing with excitement.
The route took runners past iconic landmarks, from the Kim Il Sung Stadium to the Arch of Triumph, and even the futuristic Mirae Future Scientists’ Street.
Koryo Tours, the Beijing-based agency that helps organize these tours, markets the event as a rare chance to interact with North Koreans.
“It’s an experience unlike any other,” they claim.
But as the world begins to watch North Korea slowly emerge from its self-imposed isolation, could this marathon mark the beginning of more open events?
Or is it just a strategic jog through history?
