Around 250 runners have been shamed in China after being caught cheating in last weekend’s Shenzhen half-marathon. Large majority of whom had been filmed by traffic cameras and should be punished for their actions.
As many as 18 runners found to wearing fake bibs, as well as three impostors, face lifetime bans from the event, the Xinhua news agency reported on Thursday.
The 237 others, most of whom had taken shortcuts to shave up to 3km off their route during the race and were caught out by traffic cameras and local photographers, could be banned for two years.
“We deeply regret the violations that occurred during the event. Marathon running is not simply exercise, it is a metaphor for life, and every runner is responsible for him or herself,” Xinhua quoted organisers as saying.
Running is becoming increasingly popular in China, which has seen a surge in the number of marathons and road races from just 22 in 2011 to 1,072 this year, according to the Chinese Athletics Association (CAA), cited by Xinhua.
The rise has been accompanied by concerns over cheating, however, and last year officials at the Beijing half-marathon introduced facial recognition technology to deter people from using imposters to post quicker times on their behalf.
Hardly masking its disgust at the widespread cheating, Xinhua branded it “deeply shameful” and added: “No matter the participants or the organisers, they should reflect: What is the significance of participating in and holding marathons?
>Juthy Saha
Cheating Scandal of 258 Runners in China Half-Marathon
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