North Korea to Host Pyongyang Marathon Again After Six Years, $150 Fee for Global Participants

North Korea has launched recruitment efforts for the Pyongyang International Marathon, which will take place in April in the capital city.

If the event proceeds as planned, the marathon will return after a six-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

SportsChosun website has published the registration details for the thirty-first Pyongyang International Marathon, scheduled for April 6.

The marathon will feature two divisions: an elite category for professional athletes and an open category for amateur runners. Events include the full marathon (26.2 miles), half marathon (13.1 miles), 10K, and 5K races.

The course will start at Kim Il Sung Stadium and wind through Pyongyang’s iconic landmarks, including Kim Il Sung Square, the Juche Tower, Pyongyang Grand Theatre, and Mangyongdae Schoolchildren’s Palace.

North Korea has hosted this international marathon since 1981 to commemorate Kim Il Sung’s birthday on April 15 (Day of the Sun). The event has been canceled for five consecutive years since 2020 due to the pandemic, with last year’s planned revival ultimately scrapped.

The registration guidelines highlight efforts to attract international participants, emphasizing the event’s global appeal.

North Korea plans to officially invite one male and one female athlete from each country to the elite division by the 20th of this month. The organizers will cover the athletes’ round-trip airfare and accommodation expenses.

Amateur runners from East Asia and Southeast Asia (excluding Singapore, China, and Hong Kong) can register through travel agencies authorized by North Korea’s National Tourism Administration. Participants from other countries (including Singapore, China, and Hong Kong) must apply through a British travel agency based in Beijing.

Entry fees are $150 for the full marathon, $100 for the half marathon, and $70 for the 10K and 5K races.

Analysts suggest that this event could signal North Korea’s broader strategy to revive its foreign tourism sector and generate much-needed foreign currency as the country begins to ease pandemic-era border restrictions.

Since announcing its policy of allowing foreign entry in September 2023, North Korea has granted limited access to foreign government delegations, diplomatic corps, and Russian tourists.