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Western athletes welcome to race in North Korea's Pyongyang Marathon

"It's an amazing event and a great opportunity to compete in a marathon in what is still a fairly remote part of the world for most people," says one amateur runner.

By Matt Bradwell
The North Korean flag. UPI/Stephen Shaver
The North Korean flag. UPI/Stephen Shaver | License Photo

PYONGYANG, North Korea, Oct. 20 (UPI) -- For only the second time in over 30 years, runners from Western countries will be welcome to run the in North Korea's Pyongyang Marathon, the race's organizers announced Monday.

Roughly 500 runners from around the world who were previously unable to enter the race will have the option of running the full marathon, a half-marathon or a 10k fun run.

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The full race will begin in Kim Il-sung stadium, with runners eventually coursing through Pyongyang, under the Arch of Triumph, crossing and recrossing the Taedong River before re-entering the stadium for a final 10k lap.

"It's an amazing event and a great opportunity to compete in a marathon in what is still a fairly remote part of the world for most people, but also to see some of North Korea," travel agent Nicholas Bonner, who set up Beijing-based Koryo Tours in 1993, told the Telegraph.

"I ran in the 10k race last year, the first time they opened it up to enthusiastic amateurs like me. It was a chance to interact with the people of Pyongyang, even if you only know a couple of words of Korean."

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