Organizing races well is a marathon task

Once the long-distance running bug bites you, it'll be easy to contact like-minded jogging zealots on social networking platforms, such as WeChat. The sense of belonging as well as mutual encouragement will turn you into an addict; the mental pleasure you derive despite the physical challenge will be a bonus.

The increasing numbers of participants in and extensive TV coverage of marathons have turned it into a commercial gold mine for sponsors, within and outside the sports industry, who are eager to cash in on the craze.

However, the rising enthusiasm cannot hide the lack of operational expertise and services of marathon organizers in China, which have resulted in a number of embarrassing incidents at top events. For example, during the 2013 Beijing Marathon, some of the male competitors were photographed urinating on the walls of the Palace Museum, leading to widespread criticism of the runners and complaints that the organizers had failed to provide enough mobile sanitary facilities.

And during the 2016 Qingyuan Marathon in South China's Guangdong province last month, some runners mistakenly ate imported soaps packed like energy bars which the organizing committee offered them. Perhaps they did so because the wrappers didn't have any instructions in Chinese. The incident drew sharp criticism as well as chuckles from netizens.

Even at some better-organized races such as the Shanghai International Marathon and the Guangzhou Marathon, complaints against insufficient medical support and the lack of access to the results have been heard.

As the country pushes ahead with the supply-side reform to boost economic growth and focus on quality rather than quantity, marathon organizers should note that the quality of runners and their racing experiences are much more important than the numbers of participants in races.

The author is a reporter with China Daily. sunxiaochen@chinadaily.com.cn