At least 21 ultra-marathon athletes have died after brutal weather conditions swept through a mountainous region in northwest China during the Huanghe Shilin Mountain Marathon, state media reported on Sunday.
Another 151 participants in the 100-kilometer – 62-mile – race in Baiyin City in Gansu Province were identified, and eight people were hospitalized in stable condition, the local relief headquarters reported.
Officials cited a sudden and dramatic change in weather during Saturday’s race in the stone forest of the Yellow River. At approximately 1:00 p.m., freezing rain and gales hit the high-altitude stage area of the race as the runners climbed to 6500 feet above sea level in shorts and t-shirts.
Some participants posted videos asking for help in a WeChat group chat. Some of the participants disappeared and the race was halted. Local governments launched an emergency response and organized more than 1,200 rescuers to search for missing athletes amid landslides and localized flooding.
“The participants suffered physical discomfort and temperature loss due to the sudden drop in air temperature,” state media reported.
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The temperature dropped again overnight due to the region’s complex terrain and topography, making search and rescue efforts more difficult, authorities said. Among the dead was Liang Jing, 31, an ultramarathon champion and three-time race winner.
The province has set up an investigation team to further investigate the cause of the incident, Baiyin City Mayor Zhang Xuchen said.
“As the organizer of the event, we feel a deep sense of guilt and remorse,” he said. “We express our sincere condolences and sympathies to the bereaved families and the victims.”
Numerous WeChat group chats involving the event organizer and attendees had issued weather warnings for Saturday Friday night, officials said. The terrain along the running route is complex and there was a possibility of near-term extreme weather conditions in the area, according to local weather authorities.
“In the biggest ultrarunning tragedy, 21 runners died from inclement weather on Saturday 100 km through China’s Yellow River Stone Forest,” the ultrarunning website said. irunfar.com said in a post on Sunday. “We’re at a loss for words at this horrific moment.”
