What It's Like to Run a Marathon in North Korea

The Mangyongdae Prize International Marathon is North Korea's only sporting event open to foreigners. Taking place every April to commemorate former leader Kim Il-Sung, the marathon provides unique access to those running the streets of Pyongyang.
Two-time Winter Olympian Aimee Fuller made the trip to North Korea to participate in the 2019 marathon. We caught up with the British snowboarder to reflect on her once-in-a-lifetime experience in the hermit kingdom.
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[@flyingchimp12]

I imagine it’s just like running a marathon anywhere else lmao

[@propdouchebag]

You mustn't have a very good imagination

[@mikecru9229]

What a North Korean would say 🤔😂😂😂

[@nigel9533]

If you told me Vice has a sports KZbin channel this is exactly the type of video I’d expect lol

[@cosmosPK]

Nobody: White Girls: "I'm down"

[@paulmundt3990]

I remember this being widely mocked in the Japanese papers when it opened up for the first time - the most memorable prediction being that with food and water at the aid station, none of the NK athletes would make it beyond the first 5k!

[@shqip_sumejja]

Going to North Korea would be a really memorable experience but far too complicated travelling there

[@lkjsdf1]

What events happened in this video?

[@mainnevent515]

Shit why not run in Afghanistan for the taliiban 5k?

[@utkarsh4156]

Japan: We are global leader in making robots. North Korea: Hold my beer!

[@ichigo73186]

White people: *blindly swallow and regurgitate every single claim, no matter how absurd and baseless, that comes out of the western corporate media* Also white people: Look, those people I know nothing about are such robots!

[@shambhukarki7178]

@@ichigo73186 The last sentence gave me diarrhea reading it

[@trashcantacos]

@@shambhukarki7178 lmfao

[@utkarsh4156]

@@ichigo73186 you must be following North Korean media then. Pretty understandable.

[@ichigo73186]

@@utkarsh4156 If being against racist caricatures and wanting to base your worldview on facts is "following North Korean media" then sure, I guess.

[@basedsalty6970]

That is so spooky. I really feel bad for the common people of Noth Korea

[@ichigo73186]

Why?

[@lkjsdf1]

The video equivalent of a headline.

[@DeezN1892]

Westerners when North Koreans smile ever: “PaId ActOrS!1!!”

[@BAGOLPOJOKINDAHLORKANDANG]

Kenapa tidak terdapat subtitle bahasa indonesia??

[@rezarcher]

if you factor in all the people running for their lives I'd wager there's been more marathon's than you'd originally suspect.

[@Willensimperium]

2:00 Hahahaha, yeah sure, that's the cheapest excuse ever from a nation that poor. That's also why they have giant streets, because they don't WANT anybody driving. It's not because they don't have enough oil and resources. Right. Great journalism just leaving that uncommented.

[@ichigo73186]

How awful that they're spending their limited resources on actually important things like providing their people with healthcare, education and housing instead of pandering to wasteful individualistic western lifestyle fads like every single person owning a car. Also, maybe they wouldn't be as poor if your country hadn't genocided them and then imposed decades of economic blockade, in addition to constantly threatening them with nuclear annihilation? Are you so proud of your country being a mass-murdering imperialist thug state?

[@Polar_Bear7]

ichigo73186 yes

[@bedford4383]

ichigo73186 Lol you’re so ace for defending a dictatorship and ‘work’ camps. They’re so caring aren’t they?! Delusional lemming.

[@bedford4383]

ichigo73186 you keep saying ‘your’, how do yo know what country he is from?

[@ichigo73186]

@@bedford4383 Before you go calling people lemmings why don't you obtain some basic thinking skills that go beyond blindly parroting talking points you heard in the media? What the fuck is a "dictatorship"? You think because you have elections you can choose your government? No, your real government is a bunch of unelected rich people. What do you think would happen if you tried to take away the source of their power? It must be nice using racist double standards to delude yourself into western exceptionalism, like only calling prisons "work camps" when they're in a designated "bad" country. As if countries like the US don't use prisoner labour. How many migrants are currently in US internment centers? How many black people are wallowing in horrific conditions in the racist US prison system? Wanna say anything about indigenous activists shot with rubber-coated steel bullets and sprayed with freezing water in the winter for protecting their land? How many black activists from Ferguson and elsewhere have been "suicided" by the government? But let's be realistic, most people in the US are well off and have no reason to go against their government since their country parasitically profits from massive wealth extraction from the exploited third world. So what kind of things does the US, the beacon of "democracy", do abroad? Was it the US or the DPRK that has carried out numerous genocides and murdered tens of millions of people through foreign aggression, invasion, bombing, economic warfare, and support of right-wing fascist regimes and terrorists? Was it the US or the DPRK that has overthrown dozens of democratically-elected governments and used nuclear weapons on civilians? And all that for what, so a roomfull of rich assholes can own most of the wealth in the world? The US can't even provide its own people with basic human rights (that don't depend on how much money you have).

[@acel2413]

north korea has e bikes?

[@kahhengyeong7947]

3:31 I assumed this is a drone shot and did anyone else also wondered how on earth this could be done in North Korea?

[@selfishstockton6123]

Kah Heng Yeong I thought the same thing

[@jordy2647]

Is a fake city , somewhere in LA

[@damzstudio]

DW made a better interpretation of this event-

[@ianmooresguard1721]

Well done are you proud of yourself

[@michaelnonan1236]

If you run faster you can cross the border

[@marjoe32]

Or do they walk because they can't afford a car, the maintenance and the gass

[@williammccaw928]

🙄people there are starving~but they took your advice blonde and powered through the torture

[@algermedina4523]

They forced those people to be there

[@selfishstockton6123]

Between lack of food and so much walking and marching, you’d think that the North Koreans were in good shape. You’d think.

[@kevinsmith6oh6]

The concept is simple... Vice post north Korea content.... I click

[@AustinHammy32]

What was the point? This video has no conclusion.

[@defaultuser6291]

Something about how a white blonde running in a starving country. Also something about a dictatorship but that was apparently not important at all.

[@TheTofucheese]

I can't for the life of me think why you would do this. Is there no where else that would allow you to run a marathon?There are people that are being tortured right at the moment you are running in that city. People getting publicly executed right as you run your little stupid marathon. Yet you paint it as some sort of unique or fascinating experience - you are volunteering to make propaganda for North Korea. How do you sleep at night?

[@pi9857]

I didn’t even watch the video, but I can answer the question. It’s like a suicide run.

[@bobbykenney8648]

smosh games

[@ouo9420]

Her hair gives me anxiety

[@sea2blu]

what the f... is she even talking about

[@cap6741]

Kim Jong Un. Most misunderstood man ever. God bless him

[@rolandwestley3666]

@@colonel.halberstern5893 bet you wouldn't say it to his face

[@newyorkerjoe123]

Speaking of which, Kim's N. Korea is targeted by USA and the West because that country possess the second largest deposits of 'Rare Earth Metals' in the world. They are found largely in places like China and N. Korea. Remember 15 years ago, it was Iraq, and Saddam, and WMD (weapon of mass destruction). The real motive was Oil. Today, it is North Korea, and Kim, and nuclear weapon. The real motive is Rare Earth Minerals. It's all come down to the West's dependency on China's Rare Earth Minerals. Just another same old lame old Capitalist Imperialist trick. "Those Who Do Not Learn History Are Doomed To Repeat It". Remember, Germany in pre-World War II era, was imposed upon with numerous and heavy war reparations, tariffs and sanctions by Western Colonial Powers for over a quarter century; eventually when that nation sank into mega depression, which made way for World War II, as Germany struck back. Similar scenario ran in Japan, when that nation too was bullied by maritime sanction; essentially blocking the whole island through naval blockage by Anglo empire naval ships for so long until Japan ran out of (imported) oil, and struck back at Pearl Harbor naval base whose naval ships participated in this year-long sanction. And sure enough that same thing, similar scenario repeating in N. Korea as the people of that country has suffered long enough, well over a quarter century of never ending sanction after sanction by thy Western bullies, resulting over a million innocent North Koreans already perished due to starvation and famine. Google 'Most Harmonious Nation' for honest truth. blog.chinadaily.com.cn/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=785423

[@olefella7561]

@@newyorkerjoe123 A staggering one million innocent people died, and paid the price due to never ending U.S. and Western sanctions. So unbelievable. By the way, thanks for the site posted, blog.chinadaily.com.cn/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=785423 ; now I learned more on North Korea than I ever knew before.

[@newyorkerjoe123]

@@olefella7561 Speaking of which, America is the World's Largest Arms Inventor, Arms Manufacturer, Arms Dealer, and Arms Exporter. They would only go to regions that are rich in natural resources, resourceful bountiful nations (such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Venezuela, N. Korea, etc.,), make war and destroy everything, then reconstruct and let them pay for it. Thus enriching the Elite One Percent that own the lion's share of military industrial as well as construction conglomerates. Once again, golden days are ahead for the One Percent Elite that own the lion's share of military industrial conglomerates. Google 'Shrinking Uncle Sam' for more. blog.chinadaily.com.cn/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=1795128

[@fatherfred3946]

@@newyorkerjoe123 Speaking of which, Second Amendment in America was historically put in place in American Constitution, mainly to encourage slaughtering indigenous Native Americans, in order to take over their homeland. Moreover, the hidden mega genocide of indigenous Native American people, and their population in continents of America 500 yrs ago was around 15 millions, while European population in Europe was around 20 millions.Today, Native population at 15 million, while European population , in continents of America + Europe, at a staggering 'ONE BILLION'! For instance, 200 years ago in America, around 3 million Germans came, and now there are 65 millions German-Americans; while 150 years ago, around 2 millions Irish came, and now there are 45 million Irish-Americans. While 500 years ago there were estimated 5 to 6 millions indigenous Native American people in America, before Christopher Columbus arrived, today there are only around 2 million indigenous Native Americans survived. Imagine what would it be like today if Native American people had possessed some sort of nuclear weapons to defend themselves? The answer is they would still have their own beloved fatherlands, plus their population comparable to that of European population. I've no doubt about that. In my humble opinion, it's about time to decolonize the Colonized lands, and return it to rightful owners indigenous Native American people. Remember, notorious global cardinal sin and crime like Slavery and Colonialism had long been over, why on earth is this another notorious Colonization still lingering on? blog.chinadaily.com.cn/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=820652

[@vman9591]

She should not have gone to NK. By going there, she have endorsed and legitimized its regime. Not cool.

[@luigicapoti1253]

in korea BLM?

[@stanloonaurfavesflop2901]

There is two korean!North and south korea

[@andreingramakadjscrewrip7372]

North Korea be like: No Lives Matter

[@FTW1013]

#TRUMP2020

[@durianriders]

She a pro skier? Looks like a party girl after a big night out in Brixton. #washedout This blondie needs to put down the protein shakes and pick up the rice dishes like these skinny NK babes and that KZbinr Get Fit With Natasha haha.