Running a Marathon in North Korea — What Freedom Actually Feels Like | Johan Nylander
About this episode
Johan Nylander shares his experience of running the Pyongyang Marathon in North Korea and reflects on freedom and personal rebuilding.
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...
People in this episode
Host: Kush Khandelwal
Guest: Johan Nylander
Topics covered
- marathon running
- North Korea
- geopolitics
- personal journey
- freedom
- physical fitness
Keywords
- marathon
- North Korea
- Johan Nylander
- freedom
- geopolitics
- running
- fitness
- personal journey
Mentioned in this episode
Places: North Korea
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