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Pyongyang International Marathon canceled, no official reason cited

Published: 09 Mar. 2026, 21:45 Updated: 09 Mar. 2026, 21:47

Runners take part in the Pyongyang International Marathon in Pyongyang, North Korea, on April 6, 2025. [AP/YONHAP]

North Korea has abruptly canceled the Pyongyang International Marathon scheduled for April without giving a reason, Beijing-based North Korea travel agency Koryo Tours said on Monday.

“Koryo Tours, official partners of the Pyongyang Marathon, regret to inform participants that the 2026 Pyongyang International Marathon will not take place this year.” the travel agency said on its website. “This decision was communicated to us by the DPR Korea Athletics Association and has been confirmed as final.

“We understand that this decision has been made at a level above the organizers of the event itself. We recognize that this announcement will be disappointing to many runners who had already registered or were planning to participate in the event."

Applicants who already registered for the race will receive full refunds under the event’s terms and conditions. Participants who choose to keep their payment as deposit will secure entry to next year’s race.

The Pyongyang International Marathon has been held since 1981 to mark the birthday of the nation's founder Kim Il-sung on April 15, referred to as the Day of the Sun. The country allowed foreign runners to participate starting in 2014 and the race later became one of North Korea’s well-known tourism events.

North Korea suspended the marathon after closing its borders in February 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, but the country resumed the event in April last year.

The country has continued to restrict foreign tourism. Authorities briefly reopened tourism in the Rason Special Economic Zone — a northeastern North Korean trade zone near the Chinese and Russian borders — last year but halted the program again after about three weeks.

The country currently accepts only selected tourists from Russia while maintaining tight controls on other foreign visitors. The cancellation of the marathon highlights the nation's continued restrictions on foreign tourists.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY PARK JONG-SUH [[email protected]]