Races in Funny Places: The Marathon That Takes You Right Through the Korean DMZ

Welcome back to Races in Funny Places, the series that takes you to some of the oddest racecourses on the planet. This time, we’re turning our attention to Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), where you’ll run so close to North Korea you’ll probably need a visa for a peace treaty afterwards. Yes, that’s right, we’re taking a trot through the one and only Cheorwon DMZ International Peace Marathon, the race that might be as difficult to enter as it is to leave.

The Course (With a Side of Rice, and Maybe a Very Large Wall)

In case you haven’t heard of the DMZ, it’s the world’s most densely militarized border. It’s like a really exclusive nightclub, but instead of velvet ropes, you’ve got thousands of soldiers and landmines. And that’s the peaceful side. But don’t let the occasional military tension fool you, this marathon is a unique experience—just one of the few opportunities civilians have to step into this near-impenetrable no-man’s land.

Held annually in the town of Cheorwon, formerly a North Korean town (because what’s a marathon without some good old-fashioned border crossing), this event sees runners racing through areas you’d normally only visit if you were planning an impromptu trip to the moon. It’s all part of an effort to promote peace, reconciliation, and who could forget the freshest rice grown on the world’s least likely farm.

Participants can choose from four courses: the full marathon (42.195 km), a half marathon (21 km), the 10k, and a 5k. If you’re more into strolling, there's even a Cosmos 10-ri walk through the flower fields. But let’s be real, that’s probably the closest you’ll ever get to “peaceful” in this region, so best to leave that one to the 70-year-olds who probably still can’t tell the difference between North and South Korea on a map.

You’ll Be Running So Close to North Korea, You Might Just Catch a Glimpse of Kim Jong-Un’s Haircut

When you run through the DMZ, it’s not like your average marathon where you can zone out to your playlist. Oh no, here, you’ll constantly be reminded of the tense atmosphere. Your thoughts will alternate between two things: “Wow, this scenery is amazing!” and “Wait, am I running toward North Korea right now?” That’s the thrill of the Cheorwon marathon! The full marathon course will take you past Woljeong-ri Station, South Korea’s northernmost train station (because, apparently, the ‘Stop Here’ sign has a very different meaning in North Korea).

For those of you who don’t mind running in close proximity to a dictatorship, you’ll pass by Cheorwon Plain, where you might catch glimpses of towering cliffs, lush landscapes, and of course, a heap of symbolism about the divided Korean Peninsula. If that’s not enough, you’ll also run through the DMZ civilian control line course. Ah, just the kind of vacation spot where you can unwind and maybe even accidentally cross into enemy territory.

Rice. Yes, Rice. From Right There.

We all know marathons give you medals, maybe some gels, a banana if you're lucky. But this race? It goes above and beyond. You get 3kg of rice from the DMZ. Rice. From the DMZ. That’s like getting a souvenir from the Great Wall of China, except instead of a keychain, you get a heavy sack of actual food.

But wait, it’s not just any rice. It’s rice from a land so pristine and untouched that farmers receive special permission to cultivate it—probably because North Korea doesn’t trust anyone with a farm within its borders (I mean, it's North Korea. If they could, they'd probably have rice farms in space). The very idea of rice being grown here is like saying you bought a crate of oranges grown in Chernobyl. It just doesn’t seem... legal. But hey, who’s going to argue with rice this fresh?

The Post-Race Fun: Cosplay, Blueberry Ice Cream, and Hantangang Geological Park (Because Who Doesn’t Love Some Rocks After a Marathon?)

When you cross that finish line, you’ll be welcomed with prize money, commemorative medals, and of course, a certificate that says “You Ran Here, And Lived to Tell the Tale”. But it doesn’t end there. The real fun begins after the race: think of it as a mix of culture, family fun, and a few tourist attractions that may or may not make you question your life choices. Who knew that running through the most dangerous border in the world would lead to such a delightful end?

Take in the beautiful Hantangang Geological Park (columnar jointing anyone?) or experience the great outdoors with a tin train ride, silkworm experiences, and if you're in the mood, maybe whip up some blueberry ice cream while secretly wondering if you're being watched by the North Korean authorities through some very high-tech spy satellites.

When’s the Next One? Because, Honestly, Who Wouldn’t Want to Run Here?

If all this sounds like your idea of a weekend getaway, you're in luck! The next Cheorwon DMZ International Peace Marathon is on Sunday, September 13, 2025. It starts at 9 AM, and you have until 6 PM to finish, because, you know, time is kind of relative when you’re running on the border of two countries.

So, sign up, wear your best peace-promoting attire, and prepare to run through a place where the term “cross-border” has an entirely different meaning. Plus, there’s rice. You can’t forget the rice.