I totally agree with your viewpoint . When looking at pictures like this in North Korea or any other place for that matter , it ' s easy to get a very onesided perspective . Brushing this off as a social difference because of how a country is run . It ' s easy to forget that these differences exist in all countries in varying levels . Not for all the same reasons , but sad all the same . I would call it hypocritical to not acknowledge this . <| sep |> Some 5 ks are huge and disorganized , and take some planning to get out of the crowd . I love racing 5 ks , and small 5 ks can be found . You could ask at a running store , or look for smaller charity runs . Additionally , you could look for more racelike things , if you want a more serious run , but if you hate running that might not be your cup of tea .