BRIT Anthony Macfarlane flew more than 5,000 miles to take part in a 10k fun run – in North Korea.
The adventurous traveller had dreamed of visiting the secretive state for years but its borders have been closed to Westerners ever since the pandemic.
Anthony, 31, got an email from a travel firm saying they were welcoming visitors again – for a marathon in honour of the state’s founder and first dictator, Kim Il Sung.
He has never completed a Park Run, never mind a marathon but leapt at the chance to visit the world’s most closed off country.
He said: “Luckily for me there was a 10k fun run so I didn’t have to do the full 26 miles.
“I am probably the unfittest I have ever been in my life and never go running but this was too good a chance to miss.”
Anthony paid £1,900 for the five-day trip and flew from Heathrow to Beijing where he and the rest of his 90-strong group of runners were given a briefing on the rules about life in North Korea.
They then flew to the capital of Pyongyang and the next day he found himself at the 50,000-capacity Kim Il Sung stadium – built to honour the grandfather of current leader Kim Jong Un – as he warmed up for his race.
Video editor Anthony, of Dover, Kent, said: “If you had told me a few years ago that I would be competing in a race in front of 50,000 fans in North Korea I would have thought you were bonkers.
“But I had a whale of a time. Once out of the stadium the course went round the city where there were people on the streets cheering us on which was amazing
“I only had three weeks to get fit. My girlfriend runs a bit so I went out jogging with her but by the time I travelled I had still only done a 5k run and then semi-walked, semi-ran a 10k.
“I still wasn’t a runner of any sort but I naively declared myself fit and was ready to go.
“There was a 5k run I could have entered but I decided to do the 10k because I knew I would get to see more of the city that way.
“There were elite runners taking part including a couple of Ethiopians who had flown in especially for the event.
“But I was just there for the experience.
“I did it in about an hour and 30 which is ridiculously slow but I kept stopping to take photographs which didn’t help my time.”
After the race Anthony and his fellow athletes had another four days of sightseeing around the capital of a country he had dreamed of visiting for nearly a decade.
He added: “I have wanted to go for about eight years ever since I read that they had a skate park there.
“I never thought they would have one in North Korea so I thought it would be cool to go skateboarding there.
“I got an email from Koryo Tours saying that they can get people there for the marathon as they are an official partner.
“It was a bit of a rush as I had to get a Chinese visa but I wasn’t going to miss the opportunity.
“I wanted to go with an open mind and with no preconceptions of North Korea or the people and in many ways I was surprised.
“They didn’t allow us to film on the plane which was a bit annoying but first impressions after we landed was that everyone was really friendly, although it was very strict.
“What was really weird was at the airport there were no other planes there.
“And you realised that although there were souvenir shops and cafes, once we left the airport would shut down.
“You have to be very careful when it comes to talking about the leadership.
“The guides told us that there are lots of leaflets and books with Kim Jong Un’s photo on and it was really important not to throw them away or tear them.
“That would be really disrespectful and very serious.
“And we weren’t allowed to film any construction or anything military related.
“We went to a lot of restaurants and they took us went bowling one evening which was cool.
“I didn’t think they would even have a bowling alley.
“There was no sign of any western influence anywhere, no foreign shops or companies.
“And there was no local version of McDonald’s or any bars or anything like that although you can get Heineken beer which I was surprised to see.
“We were watched all the time and although we could speak to people it felt like there was a lot of propaganda.
“They thought they had the best army in the world and were very proud of their nuclear program.
“No-one ever said a bad word about the country and they told us how they love Kim Jong Un and how brave he is.
“The only time we left the capital was to visit a big greenhouse about an hour’s drive away, just so they could show us how good they are at growing food to feed the population.
“I would love to go back – but I wouldn’t recommend it as a holiday for someone who’s a more casual traveller.
“Things could go wrong very quickly if you offend someone. It felt like treading on eggshells a lot.
“There’s a lot of places you can’t go – it’s not a holiday where you can freely move around. And the food isn’t great at all.
“But if you’re going for the experience of being in one of the world’s most secretive places then it’s definitely worth it.
“Sadly I didn’t get to visit the skate park but hopefully I will on my next trip.”
Now Anthony has ticked off North Korea from his bucket list of destinations, he is hoping to visit Syria and Afghanistan.
