North Korea holds first Pyongyang International Marathon in six years

North Korea held its first Pyongyang International Marathon in six years on Sunday, with hundreds of runners taking to the streets of the capital and citizens cheering them on. Foreign athletes had arrived in the city ahead of the running contest, held to celebrate the birth of its founding leader Kim Il Sung in 1912.

The marathon is the largest international sporting event in the reclusive country. The last edition of the Pyongyang Marathon was held in 2019 before the pandemic, during which the nuclear-armed state sealed its borders in an effort to contain the virus.

Foreign participants are currently in the capital on a six-day trip organised by Koryo Tours, the Beijing-based travel agency which describes itself as the exclusive travel partner of the marathon. The marathon is listed on the website of global governing body World Athletics.