Society News

Boy, 9, tied by rope at Zhengzhou Marathon: runner banned, but how was he on the course?

A runner at the Zhengzhou Marathon in Henan province, China, has been banned for three years and had his result cancelled after video showed a nine-year-old boy tied to him by a rope around the waist, struggling to keep up. The race was held on October 18. South China Morning Post reported on October 24 that the pair, believed to be father and son, were in the half-marathon, that the clips went viral, and that while some users were surprised by the boy's endurance, most condemned it.

The US running site Marathon Handbook took the story further on October 27. It noted that the race's minimum ages are 18 for the half marathon and 20 for the full, so a child should not have been on the course at all, and that online anger had shifted to that question. Organisers confirmed the penalty to Chinese media five days after the race, but have not named the man, said which race he entered, or whether the ban applies outside Zhengzhou. Chinese outlets also resurfaced doctors' warnings about fracture risk, heat and developing hearts in children.

“Organizers canceled the man's result and barred him for three years.” — Marathon Handbook

How each outlet framed it

• South China Morning Post — a viral video, and the public split between amazement and anger.
• Marathon Handbook — race rules and safety: the age limits, and what organisers have not said.

What we don't know yet: whether the boy finished, and how he got past race entry checks.