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North Korea cancels Pyongyang international marathon: tour agency / Photo: © AFP/File
North Korea cancels Pyongyang international marathon: tour agency
North Korea has abruptly cancelled an international marathon originally scheduled for early next month, a tour operator said Monday, citing an official statement with no explanation for the decision.
This year's race, which had been slated for April 5, would have been just the second time the event was held since 2019 after returning from a pandemic-induced pause last year.
Beijing-based Koryo Tours, which describes itself as the exclusive travel partner of the Pyongyang Marathon, said the decision was communicated to it by North Korean athletics authorities.
A message it published from the DPR Korea Athletics Association said it will "cancel the 2026 Pyongyang International Marathon this year due to some reasons", without elaborating.
This year's cancellation was "unexpected", said Koryo Tours, adding it understood the decision "has been taken at a level above the organisers of the event itself".
"At present, no further information has been provided" on the cancellation beyond the official message, Koryo said.
The marathon is the largest international sporting event in North Korea, offering visitors a rare chance to run through the tightly controlled streets of its capital city.
The 2025 race had been seen as a sign of tentative post-pandemic reopening by the reclusive, nuclear-armed country.
Last year saw about 200 foreign runners take part in the race, along with more than 200 North Koreans.
That was a significantly lower number than 2019, when about 950 foreigners took part in the race.
M.Yoo--SG
