RUN THE PYONGYANG MARATHON
RACE DAY | APRIL 5th, 2026
EVENT INFO
NOTE: Pyongyang Marathon April 2026: PYONGYANG MARATHON 2026 TRIPS SOLD OUT -
WAITING LIST ONLY.
Sign up to the waiting list now
MARATHON TRIPS
Once again, Koryo Tours is excited to offer the chance for amateur runners to take part in the Pyongyang Marathon 2026! This race can be run either as a full marathon or as a half marathon. There is also a 10km race and a 5km race.
Hundreds of local runners take part as well as some elite foreign runners.
Koryo have trips (as part of the marathon delegation) available departing from Beijing, Shanghai, Shenyang and Dandong, there is an option available for everyone!
Important Note - this is an event for runners only and is managed by Koryo Tours as a marathon delegation.
Shanghai Departure
Pyongyang Marathon Amateur Runners Trip From Shanghai
🚨 THIS TRIP IS CURRENTLY FULLY BOOKED - WAITING LIST ONLY 🚨
You will be alerted if more spots become available.
Shenyang Departure
Pyongyang Marathon Amateur Runners Trip from Shenyang
You will be alerted if more spots become available.
Beijing Departure
Pyongyang Marathon Amateur Runners 5-night Trip from Beijing
You will be alerted if more spots become available.
Pyongyang Marathon Amateur Runners 3-night Trip from Beijing
You will be alerted if more spots become available.
Pyongyang Marathon Amateur Runners 5-night Trip from Beijing
Budget Tours
Unfortunately due to no train service we cannot offer budget tours for the 2026 marathon
PYONGYANG MARATHON RACE ROUTE
The Route
For 2026 the race is a return course with the route being run through the city centre. Runners will go past many of the iconic buildings, monuments, and streets of Pyongyang, before heading out into the countryside, just outside the urban centre, before running back again.
This route — is a World Athletics (formerly the IAAF) Label Road Race — and gives runners the chance to see more of the capital than in previous years, and also allows more interaction with people along the course, as it takes in more parts of the city than ever before.
All four amateur races — the 5km, 10km, half marathon, and full marathon — will start outside Kim Il Sung Stadium.
After the race has finished, the top three in the 10 km, half and full marathon amateur categories (men’s full; men’s half; men’s 10km; women’s full; women’s half; women’s 10km) take their place on the podium for the award ceremony.
PYONGYANG MARATHON GALLERY
PYONGYANG MARATHON NEWS
JANUARY 23 2024
On January 23, 2024, Koryo Tours, the official partner overseeing the Pyongyang International Marathon, received official confirmation from the Pyongyang Marathon Committee stating that the originally planned race for April 2024 has been cancelled.
Pyongyang Marathon Reschedule
Despite being disheartening news for participants and fans, there is a ray of hope as ongoing discussions aim to potentially reschedule the event later in the year. If rescheduling takes place, the newly proposed dates are likely to be in September or October 2024.
It’s crucial to emphasize that the rescheduling has not been officially confirmed yet. Koryo Tours is actively monitoring the situation and is committed to providing timely updates on any developments, including confirmation of the rescheduled dates. These updates will be communicated through various platforms, including this channel, our social media channels, and our newsletter.
The rescheduling, if it happens, will only be for the year 2024. The Pyongyang International Marathon is expected to return to its usual April dates in 2025 and beyond, assuming the country is open to tourists at that time.
Pyongyang Marathon Tours
Caution is advised against interpreting this news as confirmation or denial of the country’s openness to tourists soon. The Pyongyang Marathon is not primarily a tourist event, having taken place for many years without tourists’ participation. The cancellation is solely due to the country’s continued closure to almost all visitors.
Even if it opens immediately, there wouldn’t be sufficient time to organize this prestigious race properly. The proposed change to a later date is merely in anticipation of the DPRK being open to visitors by that time. Those responsible for arranging the Pyongyang Marathon are distinct from those who determine the country’s openness or closure.
Regarding Pyongyang Marathon tour bookings, should the event be rescheduled, Koryo Tours will promptly offer tour packages for booking on our website. This will give participants and travellers the chance to partake in this unique event. Details will be available on the Pyongyang Marathon Tours page.
It’s crucial to note that North Korea remains closed to foreign tourism at the moment. For the latest updates on North Korea’s tourism status, please refer to the Koryo Tours website or follow our social media channels (@pyongyangmarathonofficial / @koryotours), or sign up to our newsletter.
All Pyongyang Marathon Tours will be confirmed when the borders are re-opened.
Koryo Tours
Official Pyongyang International Marathon Partners
The Pyongyang Marathon, previously known as the ‘Mangyongdae Prize International Marathon’ has officially changed its name to ‘Pyongyang International Marathon’.
Pyongyang International Marathon
For many years, the Pyongyang Marathon has simply been the informal name of the event officially known as the Mangyongdae Prize International Marathon – now we are pleased to announce officially that this has changed and the new, official, name of this race is the Pyongyang International Marathon.
This may seem like a small change, but it does remove some confusion for a lot of people as some folks did wonder if the marathon took place in Mangyongdae (a suburb of Pyongyang) rather than the city itself, and now the new name harmonises the official and the commonly-used names of the race.
Mangyongdae (meaning ‘place of ten thousand scenic views’) is the area of the city where DPRK founder Kim Il Sung was born. His native home is a significant tourist attraction and a site of local pilgrimage. The race was named for this area as it takes place around the anniversary of this birth (April 15th) every year. Learn more about this site with our Koryo Tours Travel Guide to the Mangyongdae Native House.
We expect a new logo to be issued and will announce when that happens.
For those who are immediately nostalgic about the Mangyongdae Prize International Marathon logo then here is it below on one of the 2019 finishers’ medals.
Koryo Tours
Pyongyang International Marathon Official Partners
PYONGYANG INTERNATIONAL MARATHON
(Formerly Mangyongdae Prize International Marathon)
The Pyongyang Marathon has been cancelled since the start of the pandemic in 2020. Pyongyang Marathon 2021, 2022, and 2023 have since been cancelled. With the world opening up, we hope to be able to return to Pyongyang in 2024 for the Pyongyang Marathon. Stay tuned for updates on border openings.
We are pleased to announce the opening of the Pyongyang International Marathon; formerly known as the Mangyongdae Prize International Marathon, or more commonly as the ‘Pyongyang Marathon’.
NOTE: Pyongyang International Marathon 2024 is set for 14th April – this date is subject to change. We will inform you of any changes if there are any.
Pyongyang International Marathon Booking
2024 Pyongyang Marathon tours are now available. It is expected to be on Sunday 14th April and tours are now available to book.
You can view them all in detail here.
Koryo Tours is the official event partner of the Pyongyang Marathon, and they are excited to bring you tours for the 2024 Pyongyang Marathon which feature new tour options and some exciting new tour itineraries.
The marathon will again follow the same route through Pyongyang as before which take in many of the key sites of Pyongyang. It will start and finish inside Kim Il Sung Stadium which will be full of 50,000 Koreans cheering you on.
Bookings can be made in the interim through Koryo Tours without a deposit so you can secure your place in one of the biggest events of the year in the DPRK.
What are you waiting for? Lace-up your shoes and get some good tunes lined up for your training sessions. We look forward to seeing you all in Pyongyang in the new year!
Pyongyang Marathon Guide
Shanghai – Pyongyang
Shenyang – Pyongyang
Beijing – Pyongyang
https://pyongyangmarathon.com/tour/pyongyang-marathon-2-night-tour-from-beijing/ 
https://pyongyangmarathon.com/tour/pyongyang-marathon-3-night-tour-from-beijing/ 
https://pyongyangmarathon.com/tour/pyongyang-marathon-3-night-long-weekend-tour-from-beijing/ 
https://pyongyangmarathon.com/tour/pyongyang-marathon-5-night-tour-from-beijing/ 
https://pyongyangmarathon.com/tour/pyongyang-marathon-7-night-tour-from-beijing/ 
https://pyongyangmarathon.com/tour/pyongyang-marathon-10-night-tour-from-beijing/ 
https://pyongyangmarathon.com/tour/pyongyang-marathon-12-night-tour-from-beijing/
Budget Tours
Koryo Tours
Official Partners of the Pyongyang International Marathon
RACE PREPARATION
Running in the Pyongyang Marathon is unlike any other race in the world. This is not the race for a personal best time, it is for enjoying the city atmosphere and the interaction with locals who line the streets cheering you on.
However, if you are to get the most out of this event, we recommend you expand the following sections to read further about the event.
