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The Pyongyang International Marathon was the first marathon held in North Korea in six years. The race both started and finished at Kim Il Sung Stadium, with the finish taking place in front of a crowd of 50,000 people
The comeback event featured races across multiple categories, including 5km, 10km, half, and full-marathon. First inaugurated in 1981, this is the 31st edition of the competition. With this, let’s look at five interesting points for the race held in North Korea -
#5 Both North Korean runners won the marathon in the 2025 edition
Kum Dang Pak and Jon Su Gyong, both from North Korea, emerged as the winners in the men’s and women’s races by recording times of 2:12:08 and 2:25:48 hours. In the women’s field, the top three positions were swept by Korean runners. Ethiopian runner Bekele Metaferia finished second in the men’s race with a 2:12:27.
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#4 First international marathon since COVID-19 hit the country
Following the COVID-19 outbreak in North Korea, the country closed its borders with other nations. After the impact subsided, North Korea began opening its borders to Russian tourists slowly. With this, the marathon has made a comeback to the nation, being the first to be held in the nation in six years.
#3 An American became successful in his mission to visit every country in the world
An American named Cameron Mofid was successful in his mission to visit all the countries across the world when he visited North Korea, his 195th country. As a part of featuring in the race, the American was permitted to visit the nation.
Although he initially attempted to enter the country via a Swedish delegation of table tennis investors and had planned a visit to the eastern city of Rason, both trips were canceled before his departure. At the event, Mofid ran the 10km race.
#2 Many countries & about 200 foreign runners participated
About 200 foreign runners competed at the marathon, with China, Russia, Ethiopia, Poland, Romania, and Morocco among the countries to feature at the Pyongyang International. Non-Korean participants were allowed to compete by entering the country as part of an organized tour, with Koryo Tours being the official travel partner for the race and a North Korea-based company since 1993, facilitating their entry.
#1 One of the events held to celebrate the birthday of North Korea's supreme leader Kim Jong Un’s grandfather
The event was one of the events organized to commemorate the birthday of North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un’s grandfather, Kim Il Sung. From the moment North Korea was founded in 1948, Kim Il Sung remained as the head until he died in 1994, when leadership passed to his son, Kim Jong Il, and the father of Kim Jong Un.
In 2025, the event was to celebrate the 113th birth anniversary of the founder and supreme first leader of North Korea. The event was previously held every year until the COVID-19 pandemic hit the nation.
