North Korea hosts first marathon in six years

North Korea held its first Pyongyang International Marathon in six years on Sunday, with hundreds of runners taking to the streets of the capital and cheering them on.

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Foreign athletes also arrived in the ahead of the running contest, held to celebrate the birth of its founding leader Kim Il Sung in 1912. AFP photos showed foreign runners crossing the finishing line at Kim Il Sung Stadium, some taking photos on their phones, as North Korean spectators cheered them on.

Another image showed elite North Korean and foreign athletes competing on the streets of Pyongyang, with citizens lining the route appearing to cheer.

Another photo shows North Korean spectators in the stands, cheering with sticks.

The marathon is the latest international sporting event in the reclusive country.