Half-marathon cheats caught out

Shanghai – More than 250 runners cheated at last weekend’s half-marathon in Shenzhen, including many who took shortcuts, Chinese state media said yesterday, calling it “deeply shameful”.

Marathon and leisure running is growing fast in China despite the pollution which often blankets major cities, with participants donning the latest fashionable gear and wearable technology.

However, the sport has made unwelcome headlines in recent weeks.

During Sunday’s run in Shenzhen, across the border from Hong Kong, 258 runners were penalised for cheating, Xinhua news agency said.

More than a dozen had fake bib numbers and three ran in someone else’s place, but most were guilty of cutting corners, the report said, citing organisers.

In the most blatant case, a traffic camera caught runners turning round at least one kilometre before they were supposed to make a U-turn, potentially shaving two or three kilometres off the 21km distance. The most serious offenders face lifetime bans from the race.

“We deeply regret the violations that occurred during the event,” Shenzhen organisers said in a statement.