China’s ultramarathon disaster: who were the 21 runners who died in a sudden storm on a mountainside?
The storm hit during the Yellow River Stone Forest 100km Trail Race with over 170 runners taking part
Organisers issued a public apology and pledged to investigate the catastrophe, but questions remain about the scale of the tragedy
21 people died during a 100km ultramarathon race in Baiyin, China when severe weather struck. Photo: Hand
On May 22, during a 100km mountain cross-country competition in Baiyin, Gansu province, 21 of China’s top runners died after being caught in a sudden storm and freezing temperatures. The tragedy shocked China and the rest of the world. The local government, which organised the race, has been heavily criticised by the public for not providing enough emergency equipment, chaotic event management, and for not releasing details of the victims in a timely manner. During the tragedy, there were local grass roots efforts to rescue runners trapped during the storm and since then there have been further efforts to commemorate the victims. China’s running community was shocked by the disaster and the loss of life in an event not normally considered fatal. Here’s what we know about the 21 people who lost their lives. Liang Jing, 31
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Liang Jing, from Chizhou, Anhui province was one of the most famous runners in the competition and was known as “The God of Running”. He had won the cross-country contest at Baiyin for the past three years. In 2012, Liang’s marathon mentor, runner Wei Pulong, saw him exercising at a sports centre and immediately recognised his potential for running marathons and volunteered to be Liang’s coach. Since then Wei has accompanied Liang to every marathon he has ever
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