China Ultramarathon: The Lesson People Should Learn
There have been several reports from many news agencies, all about one thing: The unlucky incident of an ultramarathon in Gansu province’s Baiyin City in northwestern China.
The high-altitude 100-kilometer cross-country race called the Huanghe Shilin Mountain Marathon started on May 22nd in Yellow River Stone Forest, as any race would. At that time, most participants were wearing shorts and T-shirts. But then things went for a sudden change towards the worst, with strong winds, freezing rain, and hail hitting the mountainside. Later, it’s gotten confirmed that 151 of the 172 racers were safe, with eight hospitalized. But sadly, the 21 others didn’t make it.
Most of those who died in the race were expert runners who decided to continue despite the changing weather. At that time, many runners started to report experiencing hypothermia, a condition of a lower-than-normal body temperature. And because the mandatory equipment didn’t include any extra clothing, participants didn’t have anything to keep warm. Realizing things had turned deadly, a 1200-person search party got dispatched, and with the help of thermal imaging drones, started to locate and try to rescue the athletes. But it was too late.
According to Dr.Tigger, there’s a lesson we should learn from this incident. “Some of the fault in this happening is with the race organizers. But remember, even though they didn’t require you to take any extra clothing, you, in the perspective of an ultramarathoner, it’s your responsibility to keep yourself safe. You can’t just depend on the organizers, thinking: If anything does happen to me, it’ll be their fault. Because when things do happen, things may turn out bad for you. And when things do turn for the worst, be prepared to quit and turn around. But wait, what they teach in schools is quite the opposite. They tell us that when things seem impossible to finish, we should continue to the last. You may be thinking right now: Then what should I do in such a situation? Well, there’s also another saying that safety comes first before everything else. And that saying also comes before all other sayings. So, first, consider your safety before doing the impossible. If that situation could turn out deadly, then don’t continue, since if you lose your life, then any achievement would be useless. Even the most professionals of us doctors couldn’t save you after that. Better safe than sorry, I say.”
It looks like Dr.Tigger is quite right, don’t you think, reader? No, don’t get discouraged from finishing a seemingly impossible task. Just take the precautions, and, in most cases, you’ll be safe. And that’s also the end of this production from the New News Newsminute. So thank you for reading, and tune in next time for more worldly updates.