North Korea will welcome hundreds of international runners for the 2026 Pyongyang International Marathon on April 5, marking the second year in a row the secretive nation has opened its borders
North Korea is set to open its highly secured doors to welcome hundreds of international runners in its extremely secretive and guarded territory. Amid the 2026 Pyongyang International Marathon, this will mark the second consecutive year the reclusive nation has allowed foreign visitors for the event despite ongoing strict tourism bans.
Koryo Tours, an independent travel agency focused on trips to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), announced that the highly anticipated event will take place on April 5 of next year.
“After a successful comeback of organising the Pyongyang International Marathon in April 2025, the Pyongyang Marathon Committee has confirmed to Koryo Tours that the 2026 race will welcome amateur runners from abroad once again,” the agency based in Beijing, China stated.
It further describes the event: “The Pyongyang Marathon is a World Athletics Label Road Races (formerly the IAAF Bronze Label Road Race) and is certified by the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS). Runners can participate in the full marathon (42.195 km), half marathon (21.1 km), 10 km, and 5 km events.
“With the opportunity to run through the streets of Pyongyang, past its iconic landmarks, and finish inside the massive Kim Il Sung Stadium, the marathon offers an experience like no other.“ Nevertheless, American, South Korean, Japanese and Malaysian citizens are currently unable to join due to DPRK travel restrictions, independent outlet NK News reported.
Koryo Tours will now reportedly conduct five separate tours of 100 participants each and will depart from either Beijing, Shanghai or Shenyang.
The cost of the tour will range between $2,550 to $2,780 (£2,020–£2,200) per person. All 500 openings were reserved in less than five hours after the announcement, Koryo Tours guide Zoe Stephens told NK News, adding that more than 500 others are also on a waiting list.
“If we’re able to secure more spots on flights, then we can expect a huge number of foreigners on the streets of Pyongyang,” she said.
As per NK news, participants will encounter a new course that will start and finish outside Pyongyang’s Kim Il Sung Stadium, rather than in front of tens of thousands cheering North Koreans inside the arena.
The Pyongyang Marathon, officially known as the Pyongyang International Marathon, was formerly called the Mangyongdae Prize International Marathon, Koryo Tours explains.
It further notes: “One of the largest sporting events in North Korea, the modern marathon has taken place since the early 1980s for professional athletes, with foreign amateur runners first joining in 2014. In recent years, the event has welcomed local and international professionals, amateurs of all ages, and runners with disabilities.
“Pyongyang has a long history of marathons, dating back to at least 1921. Marathons hold significant cultural importance in Korean sports history, as Korea’s first Olympic gold medal was won in the 1936 Berlin Olympics in the marathon event.”
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