Hundreds of Chinese half marathon runners banned after caught taking short cut through bushes

‘Running is not simply exercise, it is a metaphor for life,’ says event organisers

(AFP/Getty Images)

Almost 250 long distance runners were discovered cheating at the Shenzhen half marathon in China after traffic cameras caught them sneaking through the bushes.

Video footage showed a steady stream of runners taking a short cut from one road onto another, rather than completing the agreed route’s U-turn.

The 237 participants found to have made their way through the foliage will be banned for two years, said organisers.

By using the shorter route, organisers said the rogue runners would have done almost two miles less than others finishing the 13.1 mile route.

“We deeply regret the violations that occurred during the event. Marathon running is not simply exercise, it is a metaphor for life, and every runner is responsible for him or herself,” said the half marathon’s organisers in an official announcement.

A total of 258 runners were penalised for various forms of cheating, according to the Xinhua news agency.

Three people hired imposters for the run, while 18 others imposed themselves on the race with fake bib numbers. These 21 runners now face lifetime bans.

An editorial in the People’s Daily newspaper advised runners to “respect the marathon and respect sporting spirit”.

Long distance runs are increasingly popular in China.

At last year’s Beijing half marathon organisers used a facial recognition system to prevent runners using others to run on their behalf.