Source: Legal Daily - Legal Network

The CP2-CP3 section of the Gansu Baiyin Mountain Marathon Cross-country Race is a sharp uphill slope, which will inevitably lead to a decrease in speed. In extreme weather conditions with strong winds and heavy rain Under the conditions, it is easier to cause hypothermia in the human body

While marathon events have exploded, the reserve of event personnel and corresponding rules and regulations have not kept up, and the training of volunteers and related staff has not been in place, resulting in marathon Frequent chaos in the competition venue

At 9:00 on May 22, the 4th Yellow River Stone Forest Mountain Marathon 100-kilometer cross-country race started in Jingtai County, Baiyin City, Gansu Province, with a total of 172 people participating. Then encountering extreme weather, many runners suffered severe hypothermia during the high-altitude stage, and 21 people died.

172 people participated, and 21 people died, including many top domestic cross-country runners. Such serious casualties are extremely rare and far exceed the general public perception of the marathon event.

When a competition is held in an uninhabited area on the sub-plateau, is windproof, rainproof, warm and other necessary equipment included in the mandatory equipment requirements for the event? Are complete emergency points and supply stations prepared on track sections, especially in uninhabited areas? In the face of sudden extreme weather, did the event organizer terminate the competition in a timely manner and were the emergency plans adequate?

At present, the Gansu Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government has established an incident investigation team to conduct further in-depth investigation into the cause of the incident. For marathon events that have blossomed almost everywhere in China in recent years, this tragedy is a mirror and a wake-up call.

Cross-country racing is an extreme sport

The requirements are higher than ordinary marathons

At about 13:00 on May 22, the high-altitude stage of the cross-country race will be from 20 kilometers to 31 kilometers. Affected by sudden changes in extreme weather, local disastrous weather such as hail, freezing rain, and strong winds occurred, and temperatures plummeted. Participants experienced physical discomfort, hypothermia, etc., and some participants lost contact.

Subsequently, the local area stopped the game and organized multiple forces to search and rescue the missing persons. Due to the complex topography in the stage and the temperature dropping again at night, the search and rescue difficulty further increased.

As of 9:30 on May 23, officials confirmed that 21 people had been killed and 8 others were receiving treatment in the hospital with minor injuries.

According to one participant’s recollection, the morning of the competition was sunny and cloudy when we arrived at the competition point by ferry, and then the wind started to blow. “I ran two kilometers to warm up before shooting. This has never happened before, and what’s even more troublesome is that after running these two kilometers, my body didn’t feel warm.”

The contestant said that during the cross-country process, he experienced rain and headwinds, during which he "found that all ten fingers could no longer feel, and his tongue felt cold." He decisively decided to go down the mountain. "I retreated to the mountainside, and the staff of the Blue Sky Rescue Team guided me to a small cabin. There were already about 10 athletes in the cabin who had evacuated first. After waiting for rescue in the cabin for more than an hour, the athletes in the cabin The number of people is close to 50."

Officials characterized the incident as "a public safety incident caused by sudden changes in local weather" and are currently investigating.

"Mountain cross-country racing and urban marathon are completely different. Cross-country running is mountain running. When encountering uphill slopes, you need to hike. You will not finish the whole race. Only flat slopes, gentle slopes and downhill slopes are required. You need to run. The traditional urban marathon track is mainly flat and can be completed in its entirety. The CP2-CP3 (CP is the check-in point) section of the Gansu Baiyin Mountain Marathon is a sharp uphill slope, which will inevitably lead to a decrease in speed. Extreme weather conditions with strong winds and heavy rains are more likely to cause hypothermia in the human body. "Ai Ai Ai Xiao Ai", an outdoor travel practitioner, said that cross-country running tracks are basically wild roads in the mountains, which are traces of people's footsteps. Trail running is more of a long-distance hike than a marathon.

According to "Ai Ai Ai Xiao Ai", the concept of cross-country running supply is similar to that of marathon running. The difference is that cross-country running will be more "adapted to local conditions". The distance of the supply point will be based on the actual road conditions and difficulty. There is no fixed distance replenishment like a city marathon.

Marathon emergency runner Seeker further analyzed that the difference between ordinary marathons and mountain cross-country races is first of all distance.

The distance of an ordinary marathon is 42.195 kilometers, but the distance of a cross-country race is longer, such as 50 kilometers, 100 kilometers, or even 200 kilometers. Secondly, the tracks are different. Ordinary marathons will set the track on flat ground, while cross-country races will generally choose mountainous terrain with relatively rugged roads. Again, equipment and rescue are different. Marathons are held in cities, and there are more volunteers and rescuers along the route, making rescue more convenient. However, cross-country races sometimes require overnight stays and require more complicated equipment.

Listing windbreakers as recommended equipment

It was questioned that it did not meet the competition standards

After the incident, many people in the cross-country community raised questions and accused the organizing committee of the weather conditions. Due to insufficient prediction, windproof and warm clothing such as "windbreakers or jackets" were not included as mandatory equipment for the competition, which resulted in the contestants losing body temperature too quickly in the wind and rain.

On May 23, some media pointed out that the mandatory equipment preparation and supply equipment for this event may not meet the standards of mountain running events.

The "China Cross-Country Running Event Organization Standards" (hereinafter referred to as the standards) previously announced by the official website of the Chinese Athletics Association has put forward mandatory equipment requirements for athletes. The list of mandatory equipment must be clearly stated in the event registration instructions, and Event organizers are required to inspect the mandatory equipment when players sign in, and set up one or more equipment inspection stations during the event. In principle, rotation inspections are required. Events that do not allow conditions can conduct random inspections, and the number of people inspected must not be less than that of the random inspections. 50% of the number of participants in the project.

Among the mandatory equipment stipulated in this standard are but not limited to, thermal blankets; for high-altitude events, players must carry windproof and warm jackets, etc. However, in the list of mandatory items announced by the 4th Yellow River Stone Forest Mountain Marathon 100-kilometer cross-country race, it is not mandatory to carry windproof and warm jackets.

The official registration website for this cross-country race disclosed that the equipment required by the organizing committee includes bibs, timing chips, electronic tracks, GPS trackers, lighting equipment (headlamps), water supplies, and survival blankets. , whistle and mobile phone, the first 4 items should be provided by the organizing committee. The organizing committee stated that the consequences of not carrying mandatory equipment shall be borne by the participants themselves. As for "windbreaker or jacket", it is listed as "recommended equipment".

Some participants also revealed that due to terrain and other reasons, there is no supply point at CP3 on the top of the mountain. The exposed mountain made it impossible to rest and quit the race; some participants, considering that the weather forecast was normal, thought the weather would be very hot and worried that they might suffer from heatstroke.

In interviews, many cross-country runners said that they only knew the importance of mandatory equipment through their own experiences. For example, the mandatory equipment for TNF100 (cross-country running series) includes jackets, waterproof pants, down jackets, headscarves (issued by the organizing committee), hats, gloves, headlamps, etc.

“All these equipment must be inspected the day before the race before you can register and get the number plate. After setting off the next day, each CP will be randomly inspected to ensure that you have the required mandatory equipment. Otherwise, you will be forced to withdraw from the race. There will be 5 CPs in the entire race, one every 20km, and there will be first aid personnel at each CP, and there will be patrol vehicles along the way. These mandatory equipment are applicable to almost all cross-country races. Cross-country runners say a responsible organizing committee would need to provide appropriate safety measures, as well as stricter mandatory equipment inspections.

"This incident once again proves that mandatory equipment is actually a kind of protection for top runners, and is not intended to increase their load." An ultramarathon cross-country runner wrote that he once participated in the TNF100 abroad. I also experienced hypothermia at 87km. “I was in the second stage of decreased peripheral blood supply and my limbs were cold and unconscious. At about 2:30 in the morning, I was sitting on the roadside wrapped in a space blanket, thinking about taking a rest and continuing when I was patrolled. The patrol officer took my temperature and then forced me to withdraw from the race. I was taken back to CP4 to be evaluated by the on-site emergency doctor and given temperature recovery treatment. I saw that there was another person in CP4 who had just suffered from hypothermia. It is the third stage, where he is unconscious and has been put into a car and sent to a nearby hospital."

Marathon events are booming

The professional pool cannot keep up

In recent years, various marathon events have sprung up across the country.

According to Seeker, since the State Council issued the "Several Opinions on Accelerating the Development of the Sports Industry and Promoting Sports Consumption" in 2014, marathon events have exploded. In 2019 alone, there were 1,828 marathon events, with an average of 5 races a day. However, with the explosive growth of events, the reserve of event personnel and corresponding rules and regulations have not kept up, and the training of volunteers and related staff has not been adequate, resulting in frequent chaos at marathon venues.

The official website of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection stated: "Some places are keen on hosting events because of the publicity effect of hosting events, as well as the ability to boost regional consumption, collect corporate sponsorship fees, advertising fees, and build tourism brands. However, some events tend to only focus on economic benefits and are unwilling to invest more in services and safety. Some hosting companies simply do not have the qualifications and capabilities to organize high-risk sports events, and only focus on setting up high bonuses and other awards to attract players. Eager for quick success. Some local government departments do not want to take care of it or will not take care of it in terms of guidance and supervision, and some even have serious safety hazards, which can easily lead to safety accidents. ”

Some people in the industry pointed out that it is quite serious at present. A large number of event companies have put a lot of effort into publicity, but they have ignored the real demands of the players. Professional runner Bao Le (pseudonym) said: "Nowadays, many marathon events often spend millions of yuan on television broadcasts and stage construction, but the real money spent on the athletes is only tens of thousands of yuan. Over time, the organizers of these events have become It will inevitably be eliminated.”

“In addition, some relevant departments or sponsors do not understand the event, making the marathon event purely for the purpose of promoting the city’s image and tourism resources, and the event organizers are one-sided. Put energy and resources into how to plan the 'most beautiful' course. Many cities that host marathons fall into a strange circle, where local governments want performance but don't want to take risks. These factors have a great impact on the athletes' experience of the event," Bao Le said. .

"Ai Ai Ai Xiao Ai" suggested that for such events, the organizers should raise the threshold for contestants and force contestants to carry devices; relevant departments should strictly review the qualifications, experience and abilities of the organizers.

Seeker also believes that relevant departments should improve the standards of event organizers and formulate quantitative indicators; organizers should also do a good job in event security and improve organizational capabilities.

In Seeker’s view, this incident should serve as a warning to the majority of running enthusiasts: they must treat marathon races with caution, be fully prepared for possible dangers, and not take chances. Revere life, revere marathons, and even more, revere extremely dangerous cross-country races.