North Korea's Marathon: A Rare Chance to Tour Pyongyang on Foot

News from North Korea is rarely positive and often exaggerated. Recent rumors coming out of the country have included everything from executions by packs of dogs to government-mandated haircuts, and the outlandish stories are made all the more believable by even stranger firsthand accounts.

It's enough to make the thought of a North Korean marathon sound mundane. But the 27th annual Mangyongdae Prize Marathon was opened to foreign amateur runners for the first time this year, allowing some relatively ordinary athletes a unique view of one of the world's most secretive countries.