Pyongyang Marathon Returns: Foreigners Get Rare Glimpse Inside

The Pyongyang International Marathon, held on April 6, 2025, marked a significant moment for North Korea as it hosted its first international marathon in six years. This historic event welcomed around 200 runners from across the globe, including participants from countries such as Russia, China, the UK, Singapore, France, Portugal, Germany, Australia, Spain, Slovakia and Poland, making it one of the most diverse editions in the marathon’s history. 

EXPLORING PYONGYANG

Set against the backdrop of Pyongyang’s iconic landmarks, the marathon provided a rare opportunity for foreigners to explore the capital’s streets, cheered on by thousands of locals. Starting and ending at the legendary Kim Il-sung Stadium, the event was a symbol of North Korea's cautious steps towards reopening after years of isolation.

Koryo Tours played a crucial role in organizing the participation of western tourists at this year's marathon, taking on the responsibility as the exclusive partner due to the short notice in preparing for this international event. In addition to western groups, two Chinese travel companies brought runners to the event — the first time since the pandemic that tour groups from China have entered the DPRK. Hong Kong’s tour group, DeWonder, also brought 22 participants to Pyongyang for the occasion. These tours came with a premium price tag.  The fee for the seven-day marathon tour was around $2,750 USD per person, with the cost of participating in the race charged separately (full marathon participation was priced at around $155 USD, the half marathon at around $104 USD and the 5 or 10km races at around $72 USD).

VOICES FROM THE RACE

For North Korean runners like Pak Kum-dong and Jon Su-gyong, who secured victories in the elite men’s and women’s full marathon categories respectively, the event was a proud moment of achievement widely celebrated on state media. Pak described the enthusiastic cheers from his fellow citizens as his greatest motivation to push through the challenges of the race. Meanwhile, Polish runner Wojciech Kopec, who swept all three medals in the men’s amateur marathon, made headlines with his claim for victory in the race despite North Korean state media reporting a local athlete as the winner.

American runner Cameron Mofid, who participated in the 10km event, described the marathon as “the craziest experience” of his life. Mofid, who completed his mission to visit every country in the world with this trip to North Korea, shared the adrenaline rush of entering Kim Il-sung Stadium filled with 50,000 spectators and noted that the atmosphere was unlike anything he had experienced before.

Claus Randrup, a marathon participant from Denmark, said that while he believed there were no actors filling the streets and stores, he thought certain aspects of the trip were choreographed — such as metro passengers moving to the car where foreigners were located, or the last-minute approval for a visit to a shopping center. Randrup felt these elements were staged, “like part of a movie or play,” yet surprisingly, the short notice allowed more blending with locals. He remarked how much they were able to explore the city, even witnessing state-controlled social media where locals used a YouTube-style platform to watch 60-second highlights of Champions League games.

British YouTuber Harry Jaggard also documented his journey, shedding light on the contrasting interactions with North Korean guides. “When we’re off camera, they’re very open and they’ll say what they really think,” Jaggard shared, noting the candid nature of their discussions in informal settings. However, he observed a distinct shift when cameras were involved — guides and staffers appeared to have rehearsed responses, often citing music and books associated with the regime. “It’s like a script that they’ve learned.” Despite this, Jaggard highlighted moments of humor and curiosity, such as a guide jokingly pointing out a beer bottle-shaped pillar at the Taedonggang Brewery, calling it the best beer. 

The marathon was more than just an athletic event — it provided a rare window into the lives of North Koreans in 2025. This opportunity was especially unique given that North Korea briefly reopened tourism to Western visitors last month for the first time in over five years, only to suspend it again after just three weeks. The marathon-linked tours appear to have been a fleeting event, leaving uncertainty about future opportunities to engage with the reclusive nation.

The Problem with Numbers and North Korean Refugees

One of the biggest hurdles in trying to convince people to help North Koreans is that there is so much mystery surrounding North Korea. For all the press on the Great North Korean Famine of the late 1990s, experts still disagree on exactly how many North Koreans died from starvation. In 2001, North Korean foreign minister, Choe Su-hon told UNICEF that 220,000 North Koreans died of starvation between 1995 and 1998.

A 1998 memo to the House International Relations Committee stated that 300,000 to 800,000 North Koreans were dying per year at the famine’s peak.

But there is another phantom statistic that makes it hard for Crossing Borders to promote our work: how many North Korean refugees are there in China? People like solid numbers and the absence of one makes people skeptical that a problem even exists. With an absolute statistic people can assess what exactly needs to be done. They can put a dollar figure next to the issue and throw the appropriate amount f money and resources to experts who work in the field.

In 2003, when Crossing Borders officially started work, most experts estimated that there were between one hundred to three hundred thousand North Koreans hiding in China. A recent study by W. Courtland Robinson from Johns Hopkins University pegged the figure at 10,000.

The only thing we know for sure is that the number is big but that’s the equivalent of going to the international community, spreading our arms as wide as we can and saying, “we need this much help.”

Crossing Borders is among the few organizations that has kept our eye on the situation among North Korean refugees for a prolonged period of time. Though we cannot quantify the problem objectively, we are noticing that the number of North Koreans is decreasing in the area in which we work. In 2004 our wait lists for those who needed support were long and the problem at hand was too big for us to handle. Today North Korean refugees are still plentiful in the area but there is no waiting list.

Despite the absence of a solid figure, we have an amazing amount of anecdotal evidence backed by the testimonies of North Koreans who have defected to the South. We also meticulously vet each person who comes through our doors to get the clearest picture on the refugee crisis and on how we can expand our work. We have people on the field who keep their ears to the ground in refugee communities and underground churches. Thus far all the evidence we have gathered indicates that the great number of North Koreans who need our help throughout China are not going away any time soon.

If only that were enough.