RUN THE PYONGYANG MARATHON

RACE DAY | APRIL 14, 2024 (CANCELLED)

BOOK A MARATHON TOUR

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE RACE

EVENT INFO

NOTE: Pyongyang Marathon April 2024 has been cancelled.
New tours for the Pyongyang Marathon 2025 and Pyongyang Marathon 2024 updated dates will be available for booking soon.

Race Date

April 14, 2024

Race Options

5k | 10k | 21k | Marathon

Race Location

Pyongyang, DPRK

Exclusive Partner

Koryo Tours

我们力荐的中国大陆跑友报名渠道 www.pingrangmalasong.com ( *仅针对无外籍跑友一同前往的单纯中国籍游客 )

The Basics

2024 is hopefully the end of several years of Pyongyang Marathon hiatus due to border closures from the pandemic. The Pyongyang International Marathon (previously Mangyongdae Prize International Marathon) is open to foreign amateur runners. You can run the 5k, 10k, Half or Full Marathon. All four of these races take place at the same time and on the same day -- Sunday 14 April, 2024 (TBC) – and will be run on course which is fully recognised by both World Athletics and AIMS (Association of International Marathons and Distance Races).

Please note that all non-Korean participants are required to enter the country as part of an organised tour group. This year, the race's official travel partner is Koryo Tours, a Beijing-based, British-run company, which has been operating tours in the DPRK (North Korea) since 1993.

The Route

The route is a return course run through central Pyongyang, taking in many of the iconic buildings, monuments and streets before heading out into the countryside just outside of the urban centre, before turning and running back again.

The race starts and finishes inside Kim Il Sung Stadium.

Each race distance will have a designated turning point at the race half-distance point where runners are required to turn and head back towards Kim Il Sung stadium.

The time limit for each race is as follows:

5 km & 10 km < 2 hours
Half Marathon < 2.5 hours
Full Marathon < 4.5 hours

All runners are invited to participate in the race’s opening ceremony, which involves a lap of Kim Il Sung Stadium before heading out onto the streets of Pyongyang. All runners then have the chance to finish their race inside Kim Il Sung stadium in front of a capacity crowd of 50,000 people.

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 stadium’s podium for the award ceremony.

How To Take Part

It is not possible to enter the Pyongyang Marathon without being part of an organised tour group. The race's official travel partner, Koryo Tours, has a range of tours available to join to get you to Pyongyang for the marathon.

The Pyongyang Marathon has, since 2014, partnered with Koryo Tours to help facilitate the sign-up process for international tourists and runners wanting to take part. Registration for 2024 — via Koryo Tours — is now open.

The Pyongyang International Marathon is officially open to runners with disabilities such as those using wheelchairs or visually impaired runners. If you have any special requirements, then please contact Koryo Tours who can arrange to get you to Pyongyang and entered the race.

Elite Athlete Entry

All professional athletes are welcome to join the Pyongyang Marathon. There are cash prizes to be won, as well as a bonus for breaking the course record.

All male and female elite athletes who satisfy the following World Rankings for Bronze Label Marathon are officially invited by the Organizing Committee;

Marathon;
- Men ranked 301-400 and Women ranked 301-400 in the “Marathon”event group
Half Marathon;
- Men ranked 301-400 and Women ranked 301-400 in the “Marathon”event group
- Men ranked 221-350 and Women ranked 221-350 in the“Road Running” event group
5km & 10km;
- Men ranked 221-350 and Women ranked 221-350 in the“Road Running” event group
- Men ranked 121-200 and Women ranked 121-200 in the“10,000m”event group

The organisers require all elite athletes applying for this race to submit records of their personal best from the 36 months prior to the Pyongyang Marathon event with a copy of their CV. These documents must be received before the preliminary entry period closes, date TBC

The Organizing Committee will be happy to invite 6 male athletes and 6 female athletes (including 1 official per country), provided that the submitted personals meet the above-mentioned criteria.

Elite athletes who are not selected for one of the invitational spots in the race are still welcome to join the event if they, or their associates, are able to fund their own travel and entry.

The 2024 Pyongyang International Marathon Official Bulletin for Elite Athletes will be released at a later date.

MARATHON TOURS

Once again, Koryo Tours is excited to offer the chance for amateur runners to take part in the Pyongyang Marathon 2024! 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. Anyone taking part in this tour who wants to watch the marathon instead of take part in it is more than welcome to do so. There will be local football matches taking place in Kim Il Sung stadium after the start of the race, you can be there for this too!

Koryo have tours available departing from Beijing, Shanghai, Shenyang and Dandong, and starting from as little as 645 EUR per person - there is a tour option available for everyone!

Important Note - all tours to North Korea (DPRK) are suspended as the borders to the country are all closed. 2023's Pyongyang Marathon has officially been cancelled but we are now offering the full range of 2024 Marathon Tours (all will be confirmed when the borders are re-opened). The date 14th April has not yet been officially confirmed (but is highly likely). More information will be posted soon.

2024 Pyongyang Marathon Tours

Shanghai Departure

Weekend Tour from Shanghai

Tour Dates: April 11 - 14
From 1,345 EUR per person
Tour cost includes return flights Shanghai - Pyongyang

FULL TOUR DETAILS

Long Tour from Shanghai

Tour Dates: April 11 - 18
From 1,695 EUR per person
Tour cost includes return flights Shanghai - Pyongyang

FULL TOUR DETAILS

Shenyang Departure

4 Night Tour from Shenyang

Tour Dates: April 13 - 17
From 1,245 EUR per person
Tour cost includes return flights Shenyang - Pyongyang

FULL TOUR DETAILS

Beijing Departure

2 Night Tour from Beijing

Tour Dates: April 13 - 15
From 1,195 EUR per person
Tour cost includes return flights Beijing - Pyongyang

FULL TOUR DETAILS

3 Night Long Weekend Tour from Beijing

Tour Dates: April 12 - 15
From 895 EUR per person

FULL TOUR DETAILS

3 Night Tour from Beijing

Tour Dates: April 13 - 16
From 895 EUR per person

FULL TOUR DETAILS

5 Night Tour from Beijing

Tour Dates: April 11 - 16
From 1,295 EUR per person

FULL TOUR DETAILS

7 Night Tour from Beijing

Tour Dates: April 13 - 20
From 1,495 EUR per person

FULL TOUR DETAILS

10 Night Tour from Beijing

Tour Dates: April 13 - 23
From 1,795 EUR per person

FULL TOUR DETAILS

12 Night Ultimate Tour from Beijing

Tour Dates: April 13 - 25
From 1,995 EUR per person

FULL TOUR DETAILS

Budget Tours

Budget tours start from Dandong in Northeast China entering by train, or can be upgraded to Beijing departure.

Budget 3 Night Tour

Tour Dates: April 12 - 15
From 645 EUR per person

FULL TOUR DETAILS

Budget 4 Night Tour

Tour Dates: April 11 - 15
From 795 EUR per person

FULL TOUR DETAILS

PYONGYANG MARATHON RACE ROUTE

The Route

For 2024 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 — which is both IAAF bronze label and AIMS certified — 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 and finish inside Kim Il Sung Stadium (including a final lap of the stadium track). This means that everyone participating will get the chance to finish in front of a 50,000-strong capacity crowd of local Koreans who will be in attendance at the stadium.

VIEW MARATHON TOURS

PYONGYANG MARATHON GALLERY

VIEW MARATHON TOURS

PYONGYANG MARATHON NEWS

Pyongyang Marathon 2024 Cancelled

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 Changes its Name

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

2024 Pyongyang Marathon – Tours Now Available

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’.

https://pyongyangmarathon.com/pyongyang-marathon-changes-its-name/

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 14^th 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

https://pyongyangmarathon.com/tour/pyongyang-marathon-long-tour-from-shanghai/

Shenyang – Pyongyang

https://pyongyangmarathon.com/tour/pyongyang-marathon-tour-from-shenyang/

Beijing – Pyongyang

https://pyongyangmarathon.com/tour/pyongyang-marathon-2-night-tour-from-beijing/

Budget Tours

https://pyongyangmarathon.com/tour/pyongyang-marathon-budget-3-night-tour/

Koryo Tours
Official Partners of the Pyongyang International Marathon

VIEW MARATHON TOURS

RACE PREPARATION

Running in the Pyongyang Marathon is unlike any other race in the world. The crowd support is incredible, and crossing the finishing line is an extraordinary experience thanks to the 50,000 Koreans cheering you on as you make your way around Kim Il Sung stadium.

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.

Getting to the Start Line

If you wish to take part then the most important thing to do is ensure you’ve booked your trip to the country with an official travel provider, and have properly secured your place in the race. Koryo Tours is the official travel partner of the 2021 Pyongyang Marathon. Booking directly with Koryo automatically guarantees you race entry.

When selecting which race distance to enter, please take time to properly consider the preparation you have done, and what you are physically and mentally capable of. We advise against attempting one of the longer race distances in Pyongyang if you have not done them before. Marathons are inherently dangerous, and can be an extreme test of one’s physical and mental limits — please note that there are very limited medical options available for treatment in Pyongyang should something go wrong. We strongly recommend selecting a distance you know you can do, and doing it well, because you’ll want to make this event memorable for all the right reasons, and not the wrong ones.

Race Day

The weather on the day of the race can vary dramatically each year, so participants will need to prepare for all possibilities. Please ensure you are wearing appropriate clothing to suit your comfort for the conditions on the day and remember to protect yourself from the sun, including applying sunscreen. An official race shirt will be provided for you to wear, or you can wear your own. Please note that shirts featuring flags, political slogans, prominent logos or obscene words are prohibited.

Refreshment stations are placed every 5km along the route, but will only provide water. If you require sports drinks, energy bars, gels, or any other such snacks in order to help you get to the finishing line, then you must bring these into the country with you — as such items are not available in the DPRK — and then carry them on race day. There are no limits on how much food and drink you can bring in to the country.

Pay attention to your surroundings at all times, as all race participants — including the elite athletes — will be running on the same course at the same time. Avoid getting in the way of faster runners, especially the professional field, and try not to make sudden stops or wild changes of direction. If you need to stop or change direction then communicate this in advance to those around you via hand or voice signals.

If you injure yourself, or start to feel unwell, then stop your race immediately and move to the side of the road. Do not try to push through the pain or discomfort — you will only make your situation worse. Ambulances will be driving the course at all times, and will come to collect you once you have stopped.

Finishing

The stadium doors will close after 4 hours so that the awards ceremony can begin. The top three in the 10km, Half and Full Marathon amateur categories (men’s and women’s) will then take their place on the stadium’s podium for the award ceremony.

The time limit for the Full Marathon race has, for 2021, been set at 4.5 hours.

Any amateurs running the Full Marathon who cannot make the 4.5 hour cut-off time and are still on the course will be asked to stop, and their time will be recorded as a DNF.

Amateurs who successfully complete their event at the Pyongyang Marathon will receive a race certificate and official finisher’s medal — these will be provided to those running any of the four race distances (but only provided you finish in time). The certificate and medal will be given to you before your departure from Pyongyang.

2024 Pyongyang Marathon Tours are now available and bookings can be made with no deposit at present!

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OFFICIAL PARTNERS & SUPPLIERS

Organising Committee

DPR Korea Amateur Athletics Association

Exclusive Partner

Logistics Support

RUN THE PYONGYANG MARATHON

RACE DAY | APRIL 14, 2024 (CANCELLED)

EVENT INFO

NOTE: Pyongyang Marathon April 2024 has been cancelled. New tours for the Pyongyang Marathon 2025 and Pyongyang Marathon 2024 updated dates will be available for booking soon.

Race Date

Race Options

Race Location

Exclusive Partner

MARATHON TOURS

2024 Pyongyang Marathon Tours

Shanghai Departure

Weekend Tour from Shanghai

Long Tour from Shanghai

Shenyang Departure

4 Night Tour from Shenyang

Beijing Departure

2 Night Tour from Beijing

3 Night Long Weekend Tour from Beijing

3 Night Tour from Beijing

5 Night Tour from Beijing

7 Night Tour from Beijing

10 Night Tour from Beijing

12 Night Ultimate Tour from Beijing

Budget Tours

Budget tours start from Dandong in Northeast China entering by train, or can be upgraded to Beijing departure.

Budget 3 Night Tour

Budget 4 Night Tour

PYONGYANG MARATHON RACE ROUTE

The Route

PYONGYANG MARATHON GALLERY

PYONGYANG MARATHON NEWS

Pyongyang Marathon 2024 Cancelled

JANUARY 23 2024

Pyongyang Marathon Reschedule

Pyongyang Marathon Tours

Koryo ToursOfficial Pyongyang International Marathon Partners

The Pyongyang Marathon Changes its Name

The Pyongyang Marathon, previously known as the ‘Mangyongdae Prize International Marathon’ has officially changed its name to ‘Pyongyang International Marathon’.

Pyongyang International Marathon

Koryo ToursPyongyang International Marathon Official Partners

2024 Pyongyang Marathon – Tours Now Available

PYONGYANG INTERNATIONAL MARATHON

Pyongyang International Marathon Booking

Pyongyang Marathon Guide

Shanghai – Pyongyang

Shenyang – Pyongyang

Beijing – Pyongyang

Budget Tours

Koryo ToursOfficial Partners of the Pyongyang International Marathon

RACE PREPARATION

2024 Pyongyang Marathon Tours are now available and bookings can be made with no deposit at present!

SIGN UP FOR MORE INFORMATION

OFFICIAL PARTNERS & SUPPLIERS

Organising Committee

DPR Korea Amateur Athletics Association

Exclusive Partner

Logistics Support

NOTE: Pyongyang Marathon April 2024 has been cancelled.
New tours for the Pyongyang Marathon 2025 and Pyongyang Marathon 2024 updated dates will be available for booking soon.

Koryo Tours
Official Pyongyang International Marathon Partners

Koryo Tours
Pyongyang International Marathon Official Partners

Koryo Tours
Official Partners of the Pyongyang International Marathon