Xu Xin, professor of sports medicine at Shanghai University of Sport, underlined the importance that runners know whether their physical condition is suited to an intensive sport like marathon running and that they have trained adequately to complete the race. Xu advised runners to take a physical examination before starting a long-distance race.

Another important topic discussed during the forum was the so-called "surrogate runner problem", which refers to a string of recent incidents where runners have competed under a false identity in order to secure an unfair advantage.

Wang Dawei, vice-president of the Chinese Athletic Association, said that the problem is a matter of honesty and fairness, and sometimes may involve legal issues. He pledged that the association will not condone cheating in any form.

The association has drafted management codes for domestic marathons and related events that clarify the rules runners should follow and the penalties for violating the rules. The document is listed first in the association's 2016-2017 compilation of management documents for marathon events in China.