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News

2022 Pyongyang Marathon – Tours Now Available

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Start training and lace up those shoes. 2022 Pyongyang Marathon tours are now available. It is expected to be on Sunday 10th 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 2022 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.

We look forward to seeing you all in Pyongyang in the new year.

Pyongyang Marathon 2021 Cancelled

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The National Olympic Committee of DPR Korea, in association with the DPRK Amateur Athletics Association and Koryo Tours, has confirmed today that the 2021 Mangyongdae Prize International Marathon – also known as the Pyongyang Marathon 2021 –  is cancelled due to the ongoing closure of the DPRK border, and COVID-19 pandemic.

All tours to North Korea (DPRK) are suspended as the borders to the country are all closed. 2021’s Pyongyang Marathon has officially been cancelled, but we are now offering the full range of 2022 Marathon Tours.

All Pyongyang Marathon Tours will be confirmed when the borders are re-opened.

We stay positive and look forward to being back in Pyongyang again for the fantastic event that is the Pyongyang Marathon, and hope you’ll be there to join us to!

Keep up to date on any travel updates from North Korea by following our social media channels (@pyongyangmarathonofficial / @koryotours), or signing up to our newsletter.

2020 Pyongyang Marathon Cancelled

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The National Olympic Committee of DPR Korea, in association with the DPRK Amateur Athletics Association and Koryo Tours, have confirmed today that the 2020 Mangyongdae Prize International Marathon – also known as the Pyongyang Marathon –  is cancelled due to the ongoing closure of the DPRK border, and COVID-19 virus situation in China and the greater region.

The marathon organisers wish to convey their gratitude to all the participants who had signed up for the 2020 Pyongyang Marathon, for their patience and understanding during this difficult time.

The next edition of the Pyongyang Marathon will be in April 2021 with the date to be confirmed shortly. The organisers hope to, and look forward to seeing everyone at the 2021 event in Pyongyang.

Please contact your travel company for further information if you are affected by this cancellation.

2019 Pyongyang Marathon Race Results

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The 2019 Mangyongdae Prize International Marathon – the Pyongyang Marathon – was run on Sunday 7 April, 2019.

Over 1,600 participants hit the streets of Pyongyang including around 1,000 amateur runners to participate in what is the main event of the Mangyongdae Prize Sports Competition. A total of 59 countries were represented in the event.

Conditions were perfect for the event with blue skies, cool temperatures and an eager crowd of 50,000 people ready to cheer on runners inside Kim Il Sung Stadium.

The men’s race was won by Ri Kang Bom (DPR Korea) for the second year in a row with a 2:11:18, and the women’s race was won by Ri Kwang Ok (DPR Korea) with a 2:26:57.

You can view the race results in full here.

2018 Pyongyang Marathon Results

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The 29th Mangyongdae Prize International Marathon – also known as the Pyongyang Marathon – was run on Sunday April 8th, 2018.

In chilly conditions that saw snow falling at one point, 1,170 participants from all over the world including 429 amateurs headed to Pyongyang to hit the streets for one the most unique marathons in the world.

With a time of 2:12:53, the DPRK’s very own Ri Kang Bom came in first place for the men, and current Asian Marathon Champion Kim Hye Gyong came in first for women with a 2:27:30 just edging out her twin sister Kim Hye Song who finished second with a 2:27:31.

This year’s event also saw disabled athletes participate for the first time ever with William Tan from Singapore becoming the first person to complete the race in a wheelchair with a time of 2:49:59, and Kim Chol Ung from the DPRK becoming the first visually impaired runner to complete the event with a time of 3:28:20.

You can view the full results in full here

The Pyongyang Marathon is AIMS Certified!

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AIMS – the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races – is the international body behind the development and progress of many of the best distance running races in the world. Founded in 1982, the organisation now has more than 400 member races in over 90 countries. AIMS is also an official partner of the IAAF whom adopted the international standard of course measurement first established by AIMS.

And we are very excited to announce that the Pyongyang Marathon has now been certified by AIMS!

This new certification is further recognition that the Pyongyang Marathon meets international marathon standards and provides the organisers with an even bigger source of knowledge to develop & evolve the event. For you as a runner it also means that your race times achieved in Pyongyang can now be used to enter events where a minimum qualification time is required such as the Boston Marathon and New York City Marathon!

You can view the official AIMS listing here on their website.

There is still time to secure your spot on the start line for this year’s event – you could be the first person to qualify for the Boston Marathon on the streets of Pyongyang!

Important Updates For The 2018 Pyongyang Marathon

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The DPR Korea Amateur Athletics Association have been working very hard with their partners behind the scenes and are happy to confirm the following important updates for the 29th edition of the Mangyongdae Prize International Marathon, or also known as the 2018 Pyongyang Marathon;

Extended Finishing Time – the official marathon bulletin confirms 4.5 hours as the upper time-limit, but we are pleased to confirm this is being extended to 5.5 hours making the full marathon possible for more people. After 4.5 hours the stadium door will close so that the closing ceremony events can start to take place, but an official finishing line will be placed outside the stadium so that the complete course can still be finished, an official time logged and a finishers medal be earned. 

5km Race Distance Option – the exact route is still to be determined, but this added option means that even those for whom 10km is too far can now join in. 

Disabled Runners – previously the race was not officially open to those taking part while using wheelchairs, visually-disabled runners and so on. We are pleased to announce that this will now change and we have made it possible to accept runners from a wider range starting in 2018. If you have any special requirements, then please get in contact with our official race partner Koryo Tours who can assist with getting you to Pyongyang and entering you into the race.

These are all very exciting firsts for us to announce to everybody, and we look forward to seeing you all on the starting line in Pyongyang in 2018!



New Race Route for 2017 Pyongyang Marathon

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We are very pleased to be able to announce an exciting update to the race route around Pyongyang city on 9 April 2017.

The marathon’s organising committee has confirmed that the route next year has changed significantly from the previous 10km loop around the city centre. For 2017’s race, the race is now a return course — rather than a loop — 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.

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This new route — which is IAAF 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.

Other exciting news about the course is that all three amateur races — the 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’ll be in attendance at the stadium.

This latest update from the Pyongyang Marathon Committee also reaffirms that they’ve granted Koryo Tours the exclusive rights to enter foreign amateur runners into the 2017 edition of the Mangyongdae Prize Pyongyang Marathon.

If you’re interested in taking part in this unique event then we encourage you to sign up soon. Some of our marathon tours are already full, and once the flights and trains to/from Pyongyang during that period hit capacity, then it won’t be possible to add anyone else to the race.

We look forward to seeing everyone on the starting line in Pyongyang – it’s more than just a race!