Chinese runner gets three-year ban after dragging 9yo child by rope through half-marathon

A runner in China has been handed a three-year ban and had his race results erased after dragging a nine-year-old boy through a half-marathon using a rope.

The incident, which took place at the Zhengzhou Marathon in Henan on Oct. 18, sparked widespread online debate after clips of the child with a rope around his waist went viral. While a few social media users were surprised at the boy's endurance, the majority of them condemned the actions of the man, who is believed to be the boy's father, as a dangerous breach of safety protocols.

According to official competition regulations, runners must be at least 20 years old to participate in a full marathon and 18 for a half-marathon. The organizers note in the event rules that marathons are "high-intensity, high-risk events" requiring good physical health and regular preparation. Participants are advised to select suitable events based on their physical condition.

An official from the Zhengzhou Marathon organizing committee on Oct. 23 announced the three-year ban and the removal of the man's result.

Multiple runners claimed online to have passed the pair during the race, with some estimating that the duo maintained an average pace of around eight minutes per mile (1 mile = 1.61 km).

Medical experts have warned of the health risks for minors participating in marathons. According to Guo Jianjun, a professor at the Capital University of Physical Education and Sports' Center for Sports and Medicine Integration Innovation, since minors are not fully developed physically, running long distances carries a high risk of fracturing and cracking still-growing bones, the South China Morning Post reported.

Chen Xueli, the head of rehabilitation medicine at Beijing Shijitan Hospital, added that rising body temperatures during marathons pose severe risks to children due to their poor thermoregulation and undeveloped cardiac systems.

This is not the first time underage individuals have been illegally entered into long-distance endurance races. At Taiyuan Marathon last month, a participant surnamed Yuan put his bib on a minor and brought the child onto the track. Organizers later imposed a two-year ban on the runner.

Earlier this year, during the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon, a man was seen running while holding a baby in one arm and a smartphone in his other hand, The Straits Times reported. The Hong Kong Association of Athletics Affiliates later confirmed the violation, stating that race staff intercepted the runner mid-course and escorted him and the infant off the track.