Running the Streets of Pyongyang
Recently as our whole family came down with Omicron, we witnessed the sun streaming brighter through our windows from the confinement of our self-quarantine. This could only mean that spring is here!
With the newfound warmth, my thoughts couldn’t help but drift to our days in Pyongyang. Spring is a special time in Pyongyang. First, April 15th is the biggest holiday of the year commemorating the birthday of the founding leader. Along with fireworks, marching parades, and other festivities, the holiday is celebrated by the annual Pyongyang Marathon.
Six years ago, on April 10th was my first time running the Pyongyang Marathon. Although I only ran the 10 km course, it was an incredible experience running the streets of Pyongyang, giving high-fives to the local residents who lined the streets to cheer on the competitors. I am an athlete at heart, so I started the race with lofty objectives to medal among the top three qualifiers for women, but the children’s bright smiles and the outstretched hands lining the roads enticed me to fully enjoy the experience. Laying down my competitive spirit, I took every opportunity to receive the warm welcome the residents of Pyongyang offered me.
The race wasn’t just for fun, though. Through the campaign “Run with Joy”, IGNIS Community raised approximately $1,600 USD worth of special education equipment for children with developmental disabilities in Pyongyang. Following the race, these funds were used to provide digital androids, diagnostic equipment, and special educational supplies for children receiving treatment at the Pyongyang Medical School Hospital.
In fact, this run in 2016 was such a success that the following year a large team including our own IGNIS Community team members as well as guests from abroad joined me in running the race. Some registered for the full-length 40 km marathon, whereas others ran the half-marathon, but most of the runners joined me for a second year in-a-row running the 10 km race.
The 2017 Pyongyang Marathon ended up being significant in a myriad of ways. It was not just a team event and the birth of new partnerships, but it was the first race that I ran alongside my son, Caleb, as well. That year we had just moved into our new home on the Diplomatic Compound in Pyongyang after four years of isolated living. And it was also the last year we lived in Pyongyang because later that fall the U.S. Geographic Travel Restriction (GTR) was implemented on September 1st.
IGNIS Community Running the 2017 Pyongyang Marathon
Unfortunately, due to the global pandemic, the Pyongyang Marathon has recently been cancelled for three years in a row. The last time runners actually competed in the race was in 2018.
I have yet to run another race since 2017, as well. Chronic injuries from my many years competing continue to plague my body, and I have yet to endure beyond a 5 km limit.
But it seems fitting that I should not be able to run until the race re-opens and the GTR is lifted. I can still picture in my mind the city of Pyongyang blooming with cherry blossoms, forsythias, cosmos, and magnolia flowers. I can still see the pure joy on the faces of both the local residents and the runners. So, I want my next race to once again be back on the streets of Pyongyang.
Let’s hope that this spring will not only bring a change in season but also new hope for the future of the DPRK. Like many other means of exchanging culture, the Pyongyang Marathon is a unique way to interface with the common people of North Korea. Koyro Tours is already organizing tours for the upcoming 2023 Pyongyang Marathon, exactly one year from now on April 9th. If all goes well, I will be there running.