Overview

• Five individuals involved in planning the ill-fated ultramarathon in northwest China in 2021, where 21 runners died due to extreme weather conditions, have been sentenced to jail terms ranging from three to five and a half years.
• Two officials in the provincial capital of Lanzhou were also sentenced for 'dereliction of duty and bribery', with one receiving four years and 10 months, and the other three and a half years.
• The incident raised questions about the organization of such events, with criticism directed at the apparent disregard for incoming extreme weather and lack of adequate safety measures.
• In response to the tragedy, Beijing's General Administration of Sport announced the suspension of events without national safety standards, including mountain trail running, wingsuit flying and ultra-long distance running.
• An official report released a month after the tragedy found the race organizers had 'organised, managed and operated the event poorly' and 'bore direct responsibility for the incident'.