North Korea Welcomes Foreign Runners Back with Pyongyang Marathon

North Korea hosted its first Pyongyang International Marathon since the pandemic, welcoming foreign runners to celebrate Kim Il Sung's birthday. The event featured athletes from various countries, marking a gradual reopening since border closure in 2020, with restrictions slowly lifting in 2023.

North Korea marked a significant moment by hosting its first Pyongyang International Marathon in six years, inviting foreign athletes to participate. The event, celebrating the birthday of Kim Il Sung, North Korea's founder, saw competitors from countries including China and Ethiopia.

The marathon signifies a shift in North Korea's strict border policy, which has been in place since the COVID-19 pandemic's onset in 2020. The country began easing restrictions in 2023, allowing Russian tourist groups, though its capital remains closed to regular tourism.

The marathon route offered a grand spectacle, winding through central Pyongyang's landmarks, reaching into the countryside, and finishing in a stadium with an audience of 50,000. A North Korean runner triumphed as the first to cross the finish line, amidst cheers from the crowd and foreign participants capturing the moment on their phones.

(With inputs from agencies.)