Pyongyang Marathon

Pyongyang Marathon
Participants in the 2012 Pyongyang Marathon running past the Arch of Triumph
DateApril
LocationPyongyang, North Korea
Event typeRoad
DistanceMarathon
Established1981
Course recordsMen's: 2:10:50 (1996)
North Korea Kim Jung-won
Women's: 2:26:02 (2007)
North Korea Jong Yong-ok
Official sitePyongyang Marathon
Pyongyang Marathon
Korean name
Chosŏn'gŭl
만경대상국제마라손경기대회
Hancha
萬景臺賞國際마라손競技大會
Revised RomanizationMan-gyeongdaesang-gukje-marason-gyeonggidaehoe
McCune–ReischauerMan'gyŏngdaesang-gukche-marason-gyŏnggidaehoe

Pyongyang International Marathon, previously known as Mangyongdae Prize International Marathon, is an annual marathon race contested each April in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea.

The marathon was held for the first time in 1981 for men, and the women's event was initiated in 1984.[1] The 2009 race was the 22nd event.[2] The competition was opened for international runners again in 2000. The race starts and finishes at the Rungnado May Day Stadium or Kim Il Sung Stadium and runs along the Taedong River.[3] At the 2010 edition of the race, Ukrainian Ivan Babaryka became the first European runner to win in Pyongyang in 24 years.[4] The race in 2012 was held as part of celebrations for the 100 years since Kim Il Sung's birth and featured one of the race's closest ever finishes: Oleksandr Matviychuk and Pak Song-chol were given identical times (2:12:54 hours), with the Ukrainian guest taking the title.[5]

  1. ^ Korea Today: Mangyongdae Prize International Marathon Race[permanent dead link‍]
  2. ^ Korean Central News Agency: April 12, 2009: Mangyongdae Prize Marathon Race Held Archived 2009-06-10 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Jalava, Mirko (2011-04-11). Marusin and Ro take the wins in Pyongyang. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-04-12.
  4. ^ Jalava, Mirko (2010-04-12). Surprise victory by Babaryka in Pyongyang – Mangyongdae Prize Marathon report. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-04-12.
  5. ^ Jalava, Mirko (2012-04-09). Tight finish in Pyongyang. IAAF. Retrieved on 2012-04-21.