The day began in jittery anticipation as 172 Lycra-clad runners jumped up and down at the starting line of the 62-mile mountain race in Gansu Province, China. A few hours later, Mr. Zhang, 30, would be lying unconscious on the rugged mountain, according to a written account that he shared on Chinese social media. Mr. Zhang, a sports blogger, was among the group of survivors who were rescued when whipping rain turned to hail and temperatures plummeted hours into the ultramarathon on Saturday. According to his account, Mr. Zhang began to climb the toughest part of the race when icy rain and hail fell harder and obscured his view. “It kept hitting my face and my eyes began to blur, and I couldn’t see the road clearly,” he wrote.

Source: New York Times May 24, 2021 14:03 UTC