A horde of foreign fun-runners took to the streets of Pyongyang on Sunday for an annual marathon that has become one of the North Korean capital's most popular tourist events. Officially called the Mangyongdae Prize International Marathon, the race became an instant hit with tourists looking to run in possibly the world's most exotic locale when it was opened up to amateur foreign runners in 2014.

The U.S. Department of State is collaborating with veteran ultra-marathon runner Dean Karnazes on a 12-day run along the Silk Road — an ancient trade route through Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan — as part of the department’s sports diplomacy program and which will commemorate the 25th anniversary of those countries’ independence from the Soviet Union.

At the fourth annual Palestine Marathon, running, politics and community intersected, resulting in a mishmash of intention and intensity. Serious marathoners mingled with local kids in jeans and T-shirts [...] The race, which is put on by the non-profit global running community Right to Movement and dedicated to “telling a different story of Palestine”