Face scan to stop race cheats

ORGANISERS of a marathon in Beijing are taking a “great leap” in the fight against cheats by using facial recognition to stop imposters in their tracks.

Marathon running is booming in China but the fear of failure has meant some racers seek any means to achieve a respectable time – including letting someone else take their bib to run.

The 20,000 entrants in Beijing’s half marathon on Sunday will now be required to have their biometrics scanned before the race, China’s General Administration of Sport has said.

Some 2.8 million people took part in marathons in China in 2016, almost twice the previous year.

“Some suspect the surging popularity of marathons is driven by a desire to score social media points rather than love of the sport,” Xinhua state news agency said.