Foreigners Reflect On Running The Pyongyang Marathon

Amid the nuclear bomb threats, missile launch testing and continued political tension with pretty much the rest of the world, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea had a celebration.

Held in the capital city of Pyongyang on April 9, the Mangyongdae Prize Marathon (also known as the Pyongyang Marathon) has been run every year since 1981 as part of the festivities to commemorate the birth of North Korea founder Kim Il-Sung, culminating with the “Day of the Sun” on his birthday, April 15.
Of the approximately 2,000 participants in the 2017 Pyongyang Marathon, nearly half were foreigners. Shane Horan, 31, is an international tours manager for Beijing-based Young Pioneers Tours. He’s been to North Korea approximately 30 times, but ran his first marathon there earlier this month.

Shane Horan (left) ran the 2017 Pyongyang Marathon

“For a first-time marathon runner it was an incredible experience running into a stadium with 50,000 Koreans cheering you home,” Horan said. “North Koreans, for the most part, are incredibly warm and welcoming people. I think a lot of runners gave up on their time early on to dish out hundreds of high fives and hand shakes to the locals watching on.”
The race, which first permitted foreign participants in 2013, starts and ends at Kim Il-Sung Stadium. Runners go through the heart of Pyongyang, reach a halfway point (which varies whether they’re running the 10k, half or full marathon) and turn around back toward the stadium. They pass landmarks including Kim Il-Sung Square, Arch of Triumph, Grand Theatre and Mansu Hill, where 72-foot bronze statues of Il-Sung and his son Kim Jong-Il overlook the capital.

Pak Chol of North Korea (above) won his third consecutive Pyongyang Marathon

Spectators lined the streets to wave at and high five runners who sprinted by.
“It was a highly energizing experience,” said half marathon finisher Gabor Holch, a 46-year-old Hungarian who has lived in China since 2002. “There were crowds cheering along the streets of Pyongyang and even though we knew many of them were instructed to be there, the interest between the locals and foreign runners was genuine.”

Pak Chol, a 27-year-old North Korean, started the men’s race with a commanding lead en route to his third Pyongyang Marathon victory in two hours, 13 minutes, 56 seconds. Compatriot Jo Un-Ok won the women’s race in 2:29:23.
Horan said traveling to North Korea, though strongly urged against by the United States Department of State “due to serious risk of arrest and long-term detention under North Korea’s system of law enforcement” is an eye-opening experience.
“It’s not a country of mindless brainwashed followers,” Horan said. “It’s a living, breathing, emotional land full of people with hopes and dreams just like you and me.”

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.