S.K.Y.boy band Photo: CFP

The Alibaba sports company that organizes the 2020 Hangzhou Marathon appears to have stumbled for promoting the boy-band SKY, with netizens criticizing the young singers for being too "effeminate" to run a marathon. 

A post on the official Sina Weibo account of the marathon organizer, showing the seven young men who make up SKY, received a number of negative comments, according to media reports. The boy band was created by an entertainment company affiliated to Alibaba Group in August.

The Global Times couldn't find the post on the account on Tuesday and it was reportedly removed by the organizer. 

"They seriously lack muscles and look womanish; not suitable for marathon endorsement," a netizen said of the members of SKY. 

"Obviously they are not runners, and using them is a humiliation to runners and disrespect to the marathon," said another. 

Other netizens told the angry netizens to calm down, and not to abuse the young men on the internet. 

Alibaba Sports has been one of the operators of the Hangzhou Marathon since 2018.