In race against others and the clock, many put bodies at risk

Runners from home and abroad attended a marathon in Huizhou, Anhui province on April 10. The marathon laid a focus on medical aid among runners themselves.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Too eager

Many amateur runners in China who are highly competitive get carried away and run at a pace that is far in excess of what they can expect their body to take, and even ignore clear signals such as pain, Chang says. Many marathon competitors in the US run not just for the prize money but for charity as well, he says.

"They know their limitations and don't push things to the limit."

As Chinese have placed more emphasis on leading healthy life-styles in recent years, marathon and other long-distance running has quickly become a highly popular sport across the country.

More than 50 China Athletic Association-sanctioned urban marathons were held in the country last year, and 39 races involving more than 750,000 runners were held the year before, says Wang Dawei, vice-chairman of the association.

Events in big cities can now attract as many as 20,000 runners each, and events in smaller cities can attract between 5,000 and 10,000 runners.

However, long-distance running is a serious business that can exact a heavy physical toll on runners, and that applies particularly in the case of the marathon, says Hou Shilun of Beijing Sport University.

Hou is a specialist in remedial sports medicine and for many years has been an outspoken advocate of sports in which due respect is given to science and health.

In a marathon held last month in Qingyuan, Guangdong province, 60 percent of the 20,000 runners reported being injured in the race, nearly 10,000 of these caused by muscle cramp, and in the case of five runners the injuries were described as serious.

"Marathon carries higher risks of injury than other forms of sport," Hou says, adding that the key to avoiding injury is to strengthen the body through regular exercise and to be aware of one's own physical condition.

"Muscle discomfort is the body's way of telling you to stop and to do things at a moderate pace."

Although some chronic injuries are hard to avoid, even for highly experienced runners, cramp, fainting and shock can easily be prevented if runners better understand the sport, he says.