Running in North Korea - All Races 2024 [Running Calendar]

Practicing sports in North Korea is anything but easy.

North Korea participated in the Olympic Games for the first time in 1972. Nevertheless, the country's athletes are quite successful in certain sports, such as wrestling.

Running, on the other hand, plays only a minor role in North Korea. There are very few running events in the country, which is home to around 25 million people, and they are difficult to access.

The biggest running event in North Korea

The only internationally significant running event in North Korea is the Pyongyang Marathon in the capital of the same name. The marathon has a long tradition, after all it was first held in 1981. However, participation from abroad was only possible to a limited extent and for a long time it was only open to elite athletes. It was not until the year 2000 that runners from abroad were regularly invited. However, these were mostly elite athletes. Amateurs from other countries were admitted to the marathon only from the year 2014. However, even here with restrictions. This is because registration is only possible through a few travel providers, who receive a limited contingent of starting places.

In addition to the marathon race, the Pyongyang Marathon also offers a half marathon and running events over ten kilometers and five kilometers. The time limits are very demanding. For example, the marathon will finish after four and a half hours.

All Running Races in North Korea (sorted by date) can be found in the following overview: