North Korea has abruptly cancelled the sold-out annual Pyongyang Marathon without specifying a reason why, leaving it up to travel agencies and event partners to inform participants.
Koryo Tours, a British-owned tour operator based in Beijing, said it had been directly informed by North Korea’s Athletics Association that the 2026 Pyongyang International Marathon would no longer go ahead as scheduled on 5 April.
The agency on Monday shared a copy of the letter sent to it by North Korea’s sports agency, which said the event was being cancelled "due to some reasons".
Simon Cockerell, the general manager of the agency which is an official international partner of the event, told The Independent the world might never know the actual reasons for the race’s cancellation.
“Sadly, the way things work there is that real information can be elusive and often never really available, so we have to accept that we will probably never know what the true reason or reasons may be,” he said.
Koryo Tours said they believe that once such decisions are formally communicated they are typically final, and they do not expect any reversal.
“We sincerely apologise for the disappointment this announcement may cause. We appreciate the interest shown by runners from around the world in the Pyongyang International Marathon and thank all those who had planned to participate in the 2026 event,” it said in a statement.
The travel agency said it would continue to seek clarification regarding the circumstances surrounding the decision.
Mr Cockerell said they do not expect the event to be rescheduled.
“There is only one marathon in the DPRK, so when it is cancelled there are no alternatives,” he said, referring to North Korea’s official name of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
“The participants were being invited to the country to take part in the race and have a trip alongside that, rather than to take a tour and also run (as tourism remains suspended) so there is no trip to North Korea for them if the marathon is not happening, which it is not.”
Asked about the response from participants, Mr Cockerell said people are “certainly disappointed” as many have waited years for the opportunity.
“They were informed many times that uncertainty is inherent in planning any North Korea trip at the present time. So, it is unwelcome news, but news that people were prepared for in at least some way,” he said.
He said the cancellation is “big blow without a doubt, and a pity for all involved” as many would have made complex and extensive plans for their trips.
The tour agency said in December that all 500 available spots sold out in less than five hours after registration for the Pyongyang International Marathon opened.
The race is the largest international sporting event in the hermit kingdom, which otherwise tightly restricts access for foreign visitors. It is held every year to celebrate the birth of North Korea's founding leader Kim Il Sung, grandfather of current leader Kim Jong Un, on 15 April 1912.
The marathon had only returned last year after it was suspended for five consecutive years due to the Covid pandemic, when the country closed its borders and was one of the last to gradually reopen.
Koryo Tours said it believes the decision had been taken "at a level above the organisers of the event itself".
It said all deposits would be refunded, and runners could also choose to keep their deposit for a future event or a tour of North Korea.
Beijing-based Koryo Tours had offered marathon packages for foreign runners with trips departing from Beijing, Shanghai and Shenyang, with packages starting at £1,894 for a 2.5-night stay in Pyongyang.
The cancellation has prompted widespread speculation among South Korean media, ranging from blaming the Iran conflict to connections with a possible summit between Donald Trump and Chinese president Xi Jinping, which could be held from 31 March to 2 April.
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