21 people killed in Gansu Baiyin Mountain Marathon cross-country race

Why a cross-country race became a "death run"

　　● The CP2-CP3 section of the Gansu Baiyin Mountain Marathon cross-country race is a sharp uphill, which will inevitably lead to a decrease in speed. In extreme weather conditions of strong wind and heavy rain, it is more likely to cause human body to lose temperature.

　　● After the incident, many people in the cross-country community raised doubts, accusing the organizing committee of insufficient weather forecasts and failing to list wind and warm clothing such as "windbreakers or jackets" as compulsory equipment for the competition, causing the participants to lose too quickly in the wind and rain. temperature

　　● At the same time as the explosive growth of marathon events, the reserve of event personnel and corresponding rules and regulations have not kept up, and the training of volunteers and related staff has not been in place, resulting in frequent chaos in the marathon arena

　　□ Our reporter Zhao Li

　　At 9 o'clock on May 22, the 4th Yellow River Stone Forest Mountain Marathon 100-kilometer Cross-Country Race kicked off in Jingtai County, Baiyin City, Gansu Province, with a total of 172 participants.

Encountered in extreme weather, many players suffered severe heat loss during the high-altitude stage, and 21 people were unfortunately killed.

　　172 people participated in the competition and 21 people were killed, including a number of top cross-country runners in China.

Such a serious casualty is extremely rare, far beyond the general public perception of the marathon.

　　In the sub-plateau no man’s land, have the necessary equipment such as wind, rain and warmth included in the mandatory equipment requirements for the event?

Have you prepared complete emergency points and replenishment stations in the race course, especially in the no-man’s land?

In the face of sudden and extreme weather, is the event organizer's termination of the game in a timely manner and is the emergency plan sufficient?

　　At present, the Gansu Provincial Party Committee and Government has established an incident investigation team to conduct further in-depth investigations into the cause of the incident.

For the domestic marathon that has bloomed almost everywhere in recent years, this tragedy is even more a mirror and a wake-up call.

Cross-country is an extreme sport

　　Requirements are higher than ordinary marathons

　　At about 13:00 on May 22, the high-altitude section of the cross-country race was affected by abrupt extreme weather from 20 kilometers to 31 kilometers, local hail, freezing rain, strong wind and severe weather, and the temperature dropped sharply.

Participants experienced physical discomfort, loss of temperature, etc., and some participants lost contact.

　　Subsequently, the local area stopped the competition and organized multiple forces to search and rescue the missing personnel.

Due to the complex terrain and topography in the stage, and the temperature at night dropped again, the difficulty of search and rescue was further increased.

　　As of 9:30 on May 23, 21 people were officially confirmed to have been killed and another 8 people were treated for minor injuries in the hospital.

　　According to a contestant, the sun was shining on the morning of the race. When the shuttle bus arrived at the race point, the weather had turned overcast and the wind rose. “I ran two kilometers to warm up before the shot. This is something I have never done before. What’s more troublesome is that after running these two kilometers, the body didn’t get hot.”

　　The contestant said that during the cross-country process, he experienced rain and headwind successively, during which he "found that he didn't feel any ten fingers, and he felt cold on his tongue."

He decided to go down the mountain decisively, “I withdrew to the mountainside, and the Blue Sky Rescue Team’s personnel guided me to a cabin. There were already about 10 players in the cabin who had evacuated first. After waiting for rescue in the cabin for more than an hour, the players in the cabin The number of people is close to 50."

　　Officials have classified this incident as "a public safety incident that occurred due to sudden changes in local weather", and investigations are underway.

　　Industry insiders interviewed by a reporter from the Rule of Law Daily believe that mountain cross-country is an extreme sport, and the requirements for participants are much higher than for marathons.

　　"Mountain cross-country race and city marathon are not the same thing. Trail running is a mountain run. When encountering an uphill, you need to hike, and you will not finish the whole journey. Running is required for flat slopes, gentle slopes and downhills. Traditional cities Marathon, the track is mainly flat slope, which can be run throughout. The CP2-CP3 (CP is the punch point) section of the Gansu Baiyin Mountain Marathon is a sharp ascent, which will inevitably lead to a decrease in speed. In extreme weather conditions with strong winds and heavy rains , It is more likely to cause human body loss of temperature." Outdoor travel practitioner "Ai Ai Ai Xiao Ai" said that trail running tracks are basically wild roads on the mountains, which are traces of people stepping on, so trail running is more inclined to long Distance walking is a sport, not a normal marathon.

　　According to "Ai Ai Ai Xiao Ai", the concept of cross-country running supplies is similar to that of marathons. The difference is that cross-country running will be more "adapted to local conditions". The distance to the supply point will be considered based on the actual road conditions, rather than being fixed like a city marathon. Distance replenishment.

　　Seeker, a marathon emergency runner, further analyzed that the difference between ordinary marathon and mountain cross-country race is first of all distance.

The distance of an ordinary marathon is 42.195 kilometers, but the distance of the cross-country race is longer, such as 50 kilometers, 100 kilometers, or even 200 kilometers.

Secondly, the track is different.

Ordinary marathon will set the track on flat ground, while the cross-country track will generally choose mountain, the road is more rugged.

Again, equipment and rescue are not the same.

The marathon is held in the city. There are more volunteers and rescuers along the road, and rescue is more convenient. However, cross-country races sometimes require overnight stays and require more complicated equipment.

　　List windbreaker as recommended equipment

　　Suspected of not meeting the competition standards

　　After the incident, many people in the cross-country community raised questions, accusing the organizing committee of insufficient weather forecasts and failing to include windbreak and warm clothing such as "windbreakers or jackets" as compulsory equipment for the competition, causing the participants to lose temperature too quickly in the wind and rain. .

　　On May 23, some media pointed out that the mandatory equipment preparations and supplies for this event did not meet the standards of mountain running events.

　　The "Organization Standards for Chinese Trail Running Events" (hereinafter referred to as the standards) previously published on the official website of the Chinese Athletic Association put forward mandatory equipment requirements for players. The list of mandatory equipment must be clearly stated in the event registration instructions, and the event organizers must be in the players Compulsory equipment will be inspected at sign-in, and one or more equipment checkpoints will be set up in the middle of the event. In principle, round inspections are required, and random inspections can be conducted for events where conditions do not permit. The number of random inspections shall not be less than 50% of the number of participants in the random inspection event.

　　The standard stipulates that the mandatory equipment to be carried includes but is not limited to including insulation blankets; high-altitude competitions, players must be required to carry wind-proof and warm jackets, etc.

However, in the list of mandatory items announced for the 4th Yellow River Stone Forest Mountain Marathon 100-kilometer Cross-Country Race, it is not mandatory to carry a windproof and warm jacket.

　　The official website of the cross-country registration revealed that the organizing committee forced participants to carry equipment including bibs, timing chips, electronic tracks, GPS trackers, lighting equipment (headlights), water gear, survival blankets, whistles and mobile phones. 4 items are indicated by the organizing committee.

The organizing committee stated that the consequences of not carrying mandatory equipment shall be borne by the contestants themselves.

As for the "windbreaker or jacket" is listed as "recommended equipment."

　　A reporter from the Rule of Law Daily combed through previous media reports and found that some contestants said that many contestants only wore thin skins or even short shorts to participate in the contest; some contestants stated that the organizers of the event are required to bring heat preservation A blanket, a life-saving whistle, and a GPS, but these are basic equipment. If you don’t wear a skin suit, you may not be able to hold on. There are also contestants who said that he was checked for mandatory equipment when he took the item, but that day Before departure, no one checked his mandatory equipment.

　　Participants also revealed that due to geomorphology and other reasons, there is no replenishment point for CP3 on the top of the mountain.

The exposed mountains made people have nowhere to rest and could not retire here; some participants considered that the weather forecast was normal, thinking that the weather would be very hot and worried that they might have heat stroke.

　　In the interview, many cross-country runners said that they knew the importance of compulsory equipment only after experiencing it.

For example, the mandatory equipment for TNF100 (cross-country running events) includes jackets, waterproof pants, down jackets, headscarves (issued by the organizing committee), hats, gloves, headlights, etc.

　　"All these equipment must be inspected the day before the game before they can register to get the number plate. After the next day, every CP will have a random inspection to ensure that you have the necessary mandatory equipment, otherwise you will be forced to withdraw from the game. There are a total of 5 CPs in the competition, one every 20km, each CP has emergency personnel and patrol vehicles along the way. These mandatory equipment are suitable for cross-country competitions at almost all distances." A super horse cross-country runner said, a responsible team The committee should provide corresponding safety assurance work, as well as stricter mandatory equipment inspections.

　　"This incident once again proves that mandatory equipment is actually a kind of protection for top runners, not deliberately increasing their load." An ultramarathon cross-country runner wrote that he had also experienced a loss at 87km when he participated in TNF100 abroad. Wen, "I was in the second stage of my peripheral blood supply decreased and my limbs were cold and unconscious. At about 2:30 in the morning, I was sitting on the side of the road wrapped in a space blanket, thinking about taking a break to continue, when I was found by the patrol car. The patrol officer gave me it. I took my temperature and forced me to retire. I was transported back to CP4 to be evaluated by the on-site emergency doctor and given body temperature recovery treatment. I saw another person who was also in CP4 who had just entered hypothermia, which was the third stage, and was confused. , Has been carried in a car and taken to a nearby hospital."

　Marathon blowout

　　The reserve of professionals can't keep up

　　In recent years, various marathon events across the country have sprung up.

　　According to Seeker, since the State Council issued the "Several Opinions on Accelerating the Development of the Sports Industry and Promoting Sports Consumption" in 2014, marathon events have ushered in a blowout.

In 2019 alone, there were 1,828 marathon events, an average of 5 races a day.

However, at the same time as the explosive growth of the event, the reserve of event personnel and the corresponding rules and regulations have not kept up, and the training of volunteers and related staff has not been in place, resulting in frequent chaos in the marathon.

　　The official website of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection stated: “Some places are keen to host the competition because of the propaganda effect of holding the event, coupled with the ability to stimulate regional consumption, collect corporate sponsorship fees, advertising fees, and build tourism brands. However, some events are often only focused on For the sake of economic benefits, they are unwilling to invest more in service and safety. Some contractors do not have the qualifications and ability to organize high-risk sports events. They only attach great importance to the establishment of high prizes and other awards to attract contestants, and are eager for quick success and instant benefits. Some relevant departments of local governments In terms of guidance and supervision, they don’t want to or don’t manage, and some even have serious safety hazards, which can easily lead to safety accidents."

　　Some people in the industry have pointed out that at present, a considerable number of competition companies have put a lot of effort into publicity, but have ignored the real demands of the players.

Professional player Bao Le (pseudonym) said: "Many marathon events now spend millions of dollars on TV broadcasts and stage construction. The real money spent on the players is only tens of thousands of yuan. The time has passed. The organizers of these events It will definitely be eliminated."

　　"In addition, some relevant departments or sponsors do not understand the event, making the marathon event purely for the purpose of promoting the image of the city and tourism resources. The event organizer is overwhelmingly devoting energy and resources to how to plan the'most beautiful' track. Many cities that host marathons are caught in a vicious circle. Local governments want performance but don’t want to take risks. These factors have a great impact on the race experience of the runners.” Bao Le said.

　　"Ai Ai Ai Xiao Ai" told a reporter from the Rule of Law Daily that, with the exception of a few gold medal events, there is no threshold for registration for other marathons.

"In this way, some people will make wrong predictions about their physical conditions. In addition, many event organizers do not have enough experience at all. Every year in different cities, some athletes will die suddenly when participating in marathons."

　　"Ai Ai Ai Xiao Ai" suggested that for such events, the organizer should raise the threshold of contestants and force contestants to carry devices; the relevant departments should strictly review the qualifications, experience and capabilities of the organizers.

　　Seeker also believes that relevant departments should improve the standards of event organizers and formulate quantitative indicators; the organizers should also do a good job in ensuring events and improve their organizational capabilities.

　　In Seeker's view, this matter should serve as a warning to the majority of runners: we must treat the marathon with caution, and make full preparations for possible dangers, and there must be no fluke.

Fear life, marathon, and even more dangerous cross-country races.