China bans ultramarathons and off-road races after 21 die in Gansu tragedy
- Races in mountainous areas, cross-desert, ultra distance and other newly popular sports activities that involve high risk have been suspended
- General Administration of Sport acts on safety and organisation after competitors caught in sudden storm in race in Gansu province
The Chinese government has banned all ultramarathon-styled races in the wake of the tragedy that saw 21 runners die during the Yellow River Stone Forest 100km Trail Race in Gansu province.
On May 22, during a mountain cross-country competition, 21 runners died after being caught in a sudden storm and freezing temperatures. The tragedy shocked China and the rest of the world. The race organisers were heavily criticised on a number of fronts in terms of safety planning and logistics.
The tragedy was followed by a string of suspensions and now the General Administration of Sport of China has declared a range of running disciplines as insufficiently regulated and lacking well-defined safety standards, and suspended all these types of races, effective immediately.
The announcement said in Chinese that: “On the 22nd of May, the public safety incident at Bayin City Stone Forest 100km Trail Race in Gansu Province, in part due to sudden changes in weather, caused a great loss of human life – a lesson imbued with deeply felt grief.