It is held annually in April, with the event starting in the 50,000-capacity Kim Il-sung Stadium and travelling past Pyongyang’s main landmarks. Around 1,000 international runners participated in last year’s race in the normally isolated nation.
The Pyongyang Marathon is typically held before the country’s most important holiday, the Day of the Sun, which takes place on April 15. The date celebrates the birth of the Kim Il-sung, the first leader of North Korea. This year’s event had been due to take place on April 12, with marathon, half-marathon, 10-kilometre and 5km races scheduled.
Koryo Tours, the travel partner of the Pyongyang Marathon, confirmed the event has been cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak. The outbreak has led to North Korea closing its borders. “The cancellation of the Pyongyang Marathon 2020 comes as a great disappointment to the many people who had signed on to participate in the event and had been waiting patiently for further updates,” Koryo Tours said.