In April this year, North Korea held the Pyongyang Marathon again for the first time in six years, with about 200 foreign runners taking part on the streets of Pyongyang.
In 2026, the number of overseas participants was expanded to 500, and the slots sold out within a day.
The Pyongyang Marathon was founded in 1981 and is usually held every April to commemorate the birthday of the country's founder, Kim Il-sung. The last edition before the hiatus was in 2019, when 950 foreign athletes participated. After the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, North Korea immediately sealed its borders.
Race date: Sunday, April 5, 2026.
Race categories: 5K, 10K, half marathon and full marathon. The full marathon cutoff time is 4.5 hours (but may be shortened to 3.5 hours as in previous years).
Course changes: In 2026, the Pyongyang Marathon will use a new route. World Athletics has approved this course for use over the next five years.
This time, the race will no longer start and finish at the Kim Il-sung Stadium. Instead, the start and finish lines of the Pyongyang Marathon will be set outside the stadium.
In past years, the packed starts and finishes were a major highlight of the race. So the cancellation this year is a little regrettable.
Because regular tourism to North Korea has not yet resumed, all participants will travel as members of delegations and receive delegation visas (rather than tourist visas).
All international runners must register through"exclusive partner"Koryo Tours to register. The tour operator offers 3- to 5-night Pyongyang packages, priced at approximately €2,190 to €2,390(17,980 - 19,622 RMB). The price includes round-trip airfare but does not include visa fees or the marathon entry fee.
5 km / 10 km — $70 (RMB 495), half marathon — $100 (RMB 706), full marathon — $150 (RMB 1059).
Departure cities include Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenyang, with five different itinerary packages in total, and each trip is limited to 100 participants。A total of 500 people (currently all sold out).
As with this year, all participants will also compete as amateur athletes.Professional athletes can apply to compete as invited athletes.
However, media personnel and journalists cannot participate.
According to Koryo Tours, holders of passports from South Korea, Malaysia, the United States and Japan are not permitted to participate in this event.
