Cheating scandal urges China to improve marathon culture

Runners race in the Beijing International Marathon, Sept 17, 2017. [Photo/IC]

Authorities in charge of the recently-concluded 2017 Beijing International Marathon have confirmed several cheating scandals at the event, which took place on September 17, reports chinanews.com.

A review of pictures posed online show at least five different runners wearing the same ID number: D0198.

The Beijing Marathon organizers say they're now investigating, and say the cheaters will face severe punishment, including lifetime bans, once it's made clear who the culprits are.

This is not the first scandal connected to marathons in Chinese cities.

A number of cases have emerged in recent years, including racing under fake names and fabricating different competition numbers.

In a move to crack down on the increasing number of scandals in the sport, the China's Athletics Association (CAA) moved to impose lifetime bans on marathon cheats in March.

This latest scandal has created a lot of heated discussion.

As marathon racing is becoming increasingly popular in China in recent years, this is starting to limit the number of people who can take part.

It's being reported people who register early for a marathon have been found selling their slot in the race, which normally costs around 100 yuan, for as high as 2,000 yuan online.

Others have been found creating their own numbers the runners pin on their clothes to enter a race without paying.

"Those who cheat in the race lack reverence for the sport," said Wen Fenglin with Alisports.

"People are keen in participating in the race, but fail to learn about the culture of marathon," said an insider.

Runners race in the Beijing International Marathon, Sept 17, 2017. [Photo/IC]