China ultramarathon disaster: what happened during the storm that killed 21 runners?
- How did the tragedy unfold when a storm claimed the lives of 21 runners stuck on the mountain?
- The disaster mirrors a 2009 race in France, when trail running was growing in popularity and a race was not called off soon enough as the weather turned
The race was not a very high altitude one, compared to some races – there were no glaciers or high-altitude passes, the highest elevation at Yellow River Stone Forest 100km was 2,250 metres. The previous editions had gone off without problems and the race was gaining a reputation as a popular event.
But this year, nature had other ideas. There were weather warnings issued the day before the race but nobody expected the extreme conditions that followed.
Yet, runners commented on social media posts that even before the start of the race they had to take shelter from the wind that was gradually gaining strength. Others said they were relieved that it would not be too hot – temperatures in Gansu can be scorching.
02:46
21 runners die in freezing weather during ultramarathon in northwestern China
Most runners were wearing shorts, T-shirts or light windbreakers when the conditions deteriorated about three hours into the race and the wind reached gale force. The temperature suddenly plummeted and hail started to beat down. Blown off their feet by the wind, faces and heads bruised and bloodied by hailstones and bodies soaked to the bone, many runners became disoriented and hypothermic. Unable to even stand, some tried to take shelter behind rocks, others got lost in the terrain of steep, eroded canyons.
Those who tried to find shelter among the rocks had their emergency blankets torn to shreds by the wind. Some died in the arms of their fellow runners while huddling together for warmth. Many could not be located in time in the harsh terrain and terrible visibility, even with the use of GPS trackers and rescue teams equipped with infrared cameras.
China race disaster is a reality check as trail running grows
Many runners simply did not carry enough warm-weather gear because in the previous editions of the race, the conditions were mild. The surviving runners explained that, despite the cold and the wind, they somehow found the strength and the presence of mind to continue moving, while others had passed the point of exhaustion and stayed behind to perish. Some were blown down the slopes by the wind.
The strength of the wind, rain and hail seems to have been such that even much better gear and clothing would not have prevented falls, hypothermia and disorientation.
As the misfortune had it, the weather unleashed its full fury on the runners at the hardest section of the racecourse, between checkpoints two and three, less that 30km into the race.
This is how one survivor described his ordeal at that section: “Rain drops blown by the wind were hitting my face like a thick hail of bullets, it was really painful. I could not open my eyes because of the strong wind and thick rain, and had to squint narrowly to be able to see.
“This was the hardest part of the racecourse … the section was 8km long, with 1,000m of climbing. Only ascent, no descent. The route on the mountain was rocks mixed with gravel. Many sections were very steep,” he said.
“Runners had to use both hands and feet to climb up – a motorbike could not pass here, so checkpoint three had no supplies. Even if you reached the top, all your hopes for food, drink and hot water were in vain. It was a barren mountain. There was no way to pull out of the race here. You had to endure to check point four.”
Pre-race photos show runners wearing shorts and T-shirts, but the race had issued a list of both compulsory and recommended gear. Each runner had to carry a GPS tracker that gave the runner’s location. The trackers were provided by the organisers.
02:41
Chinese goat herder saves 6 ultramarathon runners stranded on a mountain by extreme weather
Also, every runner was given a GPS track of the racecourse to upload on their GPS watch, but following it in extreme weather likely proved impossible for many.
The recommended gear list included an emergency medical kit consisting of painkillers, antihistamines, anti-diarrheal drugs, gauze, as well as electrolytes, sunblock, energy gels, a hat for the sun, sunglasses, hiking poles, wind breaker and a warm underlayer.
In China, gear check during mountain ultras is taken seriously. Runners lacking compulsory items are not allowed to start, and spot checks also are made during the race, leading to time penalties and disqualifications if a compulsory item is missing. This race had none of the cold weather gear such as a down or waterproof jacket, or long trousers, as compulsory items.
The response of the authorities has been swift. An investigation was immediately announced by the Central Disciplinary Committee, both into the cause of the tragedy and into the competence of race organisers.
The local authorities are announcing suspensions of upcoming long-distance running events – not only mountain races, but also road marathons. The Lanzhou Marathon, in the capital of Gansu, has just announced its postponement and the list of postponed races is growing.
Among the victims of the Gansu tragedy was 31-year-old Liang Jing – the immensely talented, fatigue-proof superstar of Chinese ultra running. Liang thought nothing of doing 100-mile races every week, and winning them.
At the time of his death, his International Trail Running World Association (ITRA) ranking stood at 918 points, 8th in the world, and he was China’s and Asia’s top ranked trail runner. Liang also comfortably won the last year’s edition of this very race.
A witness wrote that Liang’s body, when found, had no skin left on his knees. He died from hypothermia – blown by the wind into a canyon, then unable to get back up, he eventually succumbed to the cold. He left behind a wife and a young child.
Also, among those who died was Huang Yinbin, who was giving chase to Liang. A grass roots runner, flint-tough, and ever-cheerful, Huang’s talent took him to the top of the sport. His body was found not far from Liang’s. The third well-known casualty was Huang Guanjun, the 2019 National Paralympic Games marathon champion for people with hearing disabilities.
Gansu is endowed with a great variety of spectacular natural landscapes and cultural relics, and is immensely important in Chinese history. The region abounds with historical sites spanning the entire course of Chinese civilisation, with the oldest dating to cultures more than 6,000 years old.
To improve the livelihood of the local people in rural regions, regional administrations in Gansu have been activating these outdoor resources. Holding outdoor events, such as trail races, is one of the methods to generate economic activity and income – China’s outdoor industry has been booming in recent years with city folk discovering mountain sports such as trail running.
Some of the world’s premier mountain races are now held in China and top international runners come to take part. To learn from the experience of the world’s leading events, some Chinese organisers brought specialised wilderness medical teams and technical safety advisers from abroad.
The organiser of Yellow River Stone Forest Trail Race took heavy criticism from the media and the running community.
The widely read Wangyixinwen news site reported that all 22 of the race staff were part-time workers. The same site also reported that, despite repeated appeals for rescue that started around midday, the organiser was reluctant to halt the race, finally agreeing to do so at around 2pm.
Michel Poletti, the co-founder of Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc, one of the world’s premier mountain running events with two franchised races in China – meaning he works closely with Chinese race organisers, told the Post that the tragedy was reminiscent of another.
“There was the same accident in France in 2009, in a (100km) race in Mercantour. It was the years of the quick growth of trail running, the situation in France in 2009 was more or less similar to China now …. a lot of new races,” he said.
“There were three runners who died, exactly for the same reason – a huge storm coming exactly onto the course … some (runners) died from cold, others because they slipped. The organiser did a big mistake by not stopping the race at a good time. (In Gansu) it was unfortunate – it was at the beginning of the race and so the runners were all together and there was this incredible number – 21 that died.”
The world and national press are currently busy analysing the causes of the disaster, but one survivor made an appeal:
“The hardest time now is for the families of those who are gone. Let us pause for a moment and let those who have died be laid to earth in peace; let the souls of their families regain some balance, and let the authorities investigate, verify and deal with what happened. This was a sudden tragedy – everything is in motion now, so let’s calm and console our hearts.”
