Race organizers of deadly 2021 Chinese ultra given jail terms
21 people died during the 100K ultra, and race directors have been convicted of “organizing a large-scale event that led to a significant safety incident”
Race directors of a 2021 ultra in northwest China that claimed the lives of 21 runners have been given prison sentences. Five organizers of the event were given jail terms ranging from three to five and a half years by a court in Baiyin, a city in Gansu (the province where the deaths occurred). One race organizer has been sentenced to four years and 10 months for “dereliction of duty and bribery,” while another official received a three-and-a-half-year sentence for “dereliction of duty,”, the Guardian reported.
The ill-fated 100K event, held in May 2021 at China’s Huanghe Shilin Mountain, had runners setting out in perfect conditions that became extreme as the day progressed. By afternoon, the course was hit with freezing rain, hail and heavy winds. Of the 172 participants, 151 were saved (eight of whom were taken to hospital), but 21 died. Officials called off the race when the weather became dangerous, and sent a rescue team of 700 onto the course to save the runners. While waiting for the search party, many runners became hypothermic, as the temperature in the mountains dipped close to freezing.
The booming popularity of long-distance running and extreme sports in China has been met with increased government support, promoting exercise for people of all ages. However, incidents like the 2021 ultramarathon deaths have prompted concerns and calls for more stringent regulations.
The failure of organizers to heed incoming extreme weather conditions during the ultra raised critical questions about event preparedness and safety protocols. In response, Beijing’s sports ministry announced the suspension of events lacking national safety standards, encompassing mountain trail running, wingsuit flying and ultra running. This was intended to address the gaps in safety regulations and prevent future tragedies in extreme sports events.
One of the 21 runners who died on the course was Liang Jing, a well-known Chinese ultrarunner. Jing raced UTMB on two occasions, and he finished second at the Ultra-Trail Mount Fuji in Japan in 2019. His last race before the Huanghe Shilin Mountain Marathon was the 2020 Hong Kong Ultra, a 100K run in which he finished second overall.
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