Many participants believe that this mistake by the Beijing Marathon Organizing Committee not only hurt the athletes but also damaged the reputation of the Beijing Marathon brand. Many participants have also taken to social media, calling on the Beijing Marathon Organizing Committee to promptly reissue correct medals to all 30,000 participants. (Video screenshot)
[November 6, 2024] In recent years, marathons have frequently been held across China, yet they have often been plagued with embarrassing issues. This year, Beijing Marathon, which serves as a "business card" connecting the capital with the international community, also made an error, becoming an international joke.
On November 3, the 2024 Beijing Marathon and National Marathon Championships (the third leg) started at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, with 30,000 runners participating. The men's championship was won by a runner from Ethiopia, and the women's by a runner from Kenya.
However, after the award ceremony, the Beijing Marathon Organizing Committee announced on November 5 that due to a mistake, the logo on the 2024 Beijing Marathon finishers' medals was printed with the "Elite Label" logo instead of the "World Athletics Gold Label" logo. The committee apologized deeply for the error.
Shortly after the marathon concluded, participants reported that there was an error on the medals.
According to mainland Chinese media, the medal mistake involved the certification logo from World Athletics. The logo in the lower left corner was incorrectly printed as "Elite Label," effectively downgrading the event’s official recognition.
Many participants felt this mistake not only disrespected the athletes but also damaged the Beijing Marathon's brand. They took to social media, urging the organizing committee to quickly reissue correct medals to all 30,000 participants.
Following public outcry, the Beijing Marathon Organizing Committee responded on November 5, saying they would work to reissue the corrected medals to finishers as soon as possible and ensure follow-up service.
Founded in 1981, the Beijing Marathon is the largest and most representative single-event race in China, with the highest degree of marketization according to the China Athletic Association. This year’s event was organized by the Chinese Athletics Association and the Beijing Municipal Sports Bureau, and was intended to be "more internationally aligned," according to officials.
The incident sparked widespread discussion among netizens on mainland social media.
"Leon_xiaolian: This year, many events across the country are canceled or postponed, with medals being redone because of this."
"Xu Wenxiang: How much do you think re-sending all the medals will cost?"
"Own Dad: When you make a big mistake, just use this to console yourself."
"Dihu_: This shows that many industries really are run by amateurs."
"Little Creek by the Street: The organization of the Beijing Marathon declines year by year."
"Black Iron Knight: We laugh at Paris getting loose, but isn’t this even more absurd?"
"Little Song: What a joke."
Interestingly, a recent marathon in Hangzhou had a similar mishap.
On the morning of November 3, the 2024 Hangzhou Marathon was underway when a dramatic error occurred. During the final sprint, a route misdirection led the Ethiopian runner, who was in the lead, to be overtaken by a Kenyan runner.
The Kenyan runner Moses Kibet ultimately won and received a prize of $54,000 (approximately 384,550 RMB), while the Ethiopian runner Tesfaye Deriba Ketemn, originally in the lead, finished second and won $24,000 (approximately 170,911 RMB).
In another case, at a half marathon in Beijing this April, a Chinese runner, He Jie, won after reportedly being “escorted” by three African pacers, stirring public discussion. An overseas participant disclosed that these runners were actually hired pacers to help He break China’s half marathon record.
In the 2018 Suzhou Marathon, controversy arose in the women’s race. In the final 500 meters, Chinese runner He Yinli was in a close contest with Ethiopian runner Ayantu, when two Suzhou race volunteers entered the course and attempted to hand He the national flag. This disrupted her sprint, and she ultimately finished second.
Some netizens speculated that this incident was a "deliberate, planned action with a clear objective," suggesting that local officials wanted a scene of a Chinese runner waving the national flag at the finish line to stoke patriotic sentiment, but the attempt backfired.
Additionally, some netizens revealed that there are African teams specifically brought to China to run marathons, with race organizers often covering their expenses to enhance the event’s international image. The prize money is guaranteed, with top placements often reserved for African runners.
Editor: Zheng Haoyu
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