Beijing: North Korea has decided to cancel the 2026 Pyongyang International Marathon, originally scheduled for April 5 in the capital city, a Beijing-based tour agency announced on Monday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Koryo Tours, which specializes in organizing travel to North Korea, reported the cancellation on its website. The agency stated, "This decision was communicated to us by the DPR Korea Athletics Association and has been confirmed as final." The term DPRK refers to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the official designation for North Korea.
The tour agency mentioned that no additional information has been provided about the reasons behind the cancellation. The event, previously known as the Mangyongdae Prize International Marathon, was first held in 1981 to honor the April 15 birthday of North Korea's late national founder, Kim Il-sung. The marathon was put on hold for five years starting in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and resumed last year as a means for the country to generate foreign currency.