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Will power to take gold in North Korea

It would not be the first destination of choice for most runners looking to run a half-marathon in another country.

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But when North Korea opened its annual race to international amateur athletes for the first time, Will Marks fancied his chances.

It paid off when the 30-year-old from Stafford passed the finishing line in first place in front of 70,000 cheering spectators. He believes he is the first non-national to have won the race.

Stafford runner Will Marks after winning the marathon in North Korea

Mr Marks, who now lives in China, completed the 13.1m route in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang in one hour and 23 minutes.

He said: "You had to run 500m around the track to the finish. The stadium was packed and the crowds were all chanting and clapping.

"It was as surreal an experience as you can imagine. It was like you had just won an Olympic gold."

The British runner sported a Kim Jong-Un-style haircut following a strict diktat issued by the regime that all young men should have short back and sides haircuts like their leader.

The foreign competitors, whom Will believes numbered around 150, were not allowed to travel around the city unaccompanied. On the day of their arrival, they were ordered to change into their race gear and present themselves for an official inspection.

"Some people had to get changed out of their running gear because it had logos which the officials thought were too big," said Mr Marks. "One guy had to do the race in his jeans."

He decided to enter after hearing about the race through his running club in Shanghai.

He stayed in North Korea for three nights in order to run the race on Sunday.

Mr Marks has also run races around a volcano in Java and across the grass plains of Inner Mongolia. He said he was not sure whether he would return to the North Korean event.

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