Running a Marathon in North Korea — What Freedom Actually Feels Like | Johan Nylander

What does running feel like inside one of the most controlled countries in the world?

Johan Nylander entered North Korea shortly after it reopened—joining a small group of foreign visitors to run the Pyongyang Marathon.

At 52, he found himself on a starting line few outsiders ever experience.

But this story doesn’t start there.

After years covering geopolitics across Asia, Johan was burned out—physically depleted and struggling to run even a single kilometer. What followed was a quiet rebuild: step by step, race by race, until running became something more than fitness.

It became structure. And then, freedom.

In North Korea, that idea takes on a different meaning.

We talk about:

 what it’s like to run through Pyongyang  how movement feels inside a system built on control  starting endurance sport later in life  rebuilding after burnout  and how freedom can show up in unexpected ways 

Johan has spent his career reporting on power and control.

In this conversation, we explore what happens when those ideas become personal.

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