North Korea holds first Pyongyang marathon after pandemic

By Ju-min Park

SEOUL (Reuters) -North Korea on Sunday held its first Pyongyang International Marathon in six years, hosting foreign runners in the reclusive country that has largely closed its borders since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Athletes from China, Ethiopia and other countries participated in the event, according to state TV. The marathon is one of several events held to celebrate the April 15 birthday of Kim Il Sung, North Korea's founder and grandfather of current leader Kim Jong Un.

About 200 foreigners arrived on Friday and Saturday in Pyongyang where those running practiced at a hotel for the Sunday race, said Simon Cockerell, general manager at Beijing-based Koryo Tours, in Instagram posts.

The Koryo Tours is an official partner of the Pyongyang Marathon, aiding the sign-up process for international competitors.

The isolated state sealed its borders in 2020 at the start of the pandemic but has been slowly lifting restrictions since 2023.

It has allowed Russian tourist groups into the country but its capital remains closed to regular tourism.

The marathon is a return course running through central Pyongyang, passing major landmarks and heading out into the countryside before coming back through the city to a stadium filled with 50,000 spectators, Koryo Tours said.

At the stadium, a huge crowd of North Koreans - some wearing masks - greeted the runners, and foreign participants took pictures of the spectators with mobile phones, state television footage showed.

A North Korean runner was the first to cross the finish line, according to state TV.

(Reporting by Ju-min Park; Editing by David Gregorio, Christopher Cushing and Clelia Oziel)