Hundreds of foreigners descended on North Korea this week for the revival of the country’s premier marathon, offering the outside world a rare opportunity to travel to one of the world’s most secretive countries after years of isolation.

The 31st Pyongyang International Marathon on Sunday marked a long-awaited return following five straight years of cancellations due to COVID-related border closures. It brought together over 500 participants, including around 200 amateur runners from more than 40 countries.

The fate of the annual contest remained in doubt until last month, when the country opened registrations just weeks before the event. However,