China bans runners over ‘obstructive’ marathon behaviorAFP, BEIJINGA runner who stopped during a marathon in China to pose doing the splits and another who hoarded energy gels have been banned for two years, the local athletics association said yesterday. The incidents happened during Sunday’s marathon in Sichuan Province’s Chengdu and were widely shared online. A runner who stopped during a marathon in China to pose doing the splits has been banned for two years. The male runner, surnamed Zhang, had “illegally taken a large quantity of race supplies for personal use,” the association said. Previous incidents also included marathon runners jumping on rental bikes and taking shortcuts.

Source: Taipei Times March 26, 2026 20:15 UTC