Keywords: marathon death; land compensation

Second marathon death raises public fitness concerns

A 25-year-old man died in a Guangzhou hospital early on November 27 after he fell unconscious right before the finish line on November 25, registering the second death of the Guangzhou Marathon, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Ding Xixiao was sent to hospital and kept in intensive care after he fainted 300 meters away from the 5-kilometer mini-marathon finish line in the first edition of the Guangzhou Marathon on November 18.

The other participant, Chen Jie, 19, died of cardiogenic shock hours after the marathon.

Some Chinese media outlets attributed the deaths to a decline in physical fitness among the general public, while others called for the government to educate the public on proper exercise techniques.  

China Youth Daily published an article saying that colleges may discourage students from participating in sport as a result, which is an even greater heath risk.   

"These deaths may frighten colleges into canceling long-distance running events, but depriving students of physical conditioning is worse for their health," one running enthusiast was quoted in the article.

Columnist Song Jianfeng wrote on voc.com.cn that marathons are not for everyone and suggested that those with moderate fitness choose less strenuous forms of exercise.

Song said that although the country needs strong-bodied youth, it is unwise to participate in events that are beyond one's ability.

Liu Guoyong, official of General Administration of Sports of China, echoed this view on qq.com, urging the government to promote proper technique.

"People know little about how to exercise, such as correct form and running gear. Government should help spread information through media," Liu said.

The deaths should be attributed to the general decline in fitness among young men, Shen Chunde, vice president of the Chinese Athletics Association, was quoted by Peninsula Morning Post, a newspaper based in Dalian, Liaoning Province.

"The growing number of deaths in sporting events illustrates this decline in physical quality, particularly among the younger generation. Some universities have canceled long-distance running from their athletics programs due to these incidents, which is a tragedy for China's education system," Shen added.

Farmers may see better compensation for expropriated land

Chinese farmers may see more compensation for land expropriated by local governments thanks to a State Council draft law amendment submitted to China’s top legislature on November 28.

Experts predict that the new regulation would increase cash compensation as much as 10 times previously given to farmers, reported the Beijing Times.

Chinese media urged lawmakers to pass the regulation while at the same time pointed out how local governments are likely to resist the policy.

People's Daily stressed that the improved compensation should be the result of farmers receiving a larger share of profits earned from the development of their land but not local governments inflating real estate prices.

"Land-owning farmers are entitled to receive 30 to 50 percent of total profits earned. The government should not try to make up for this loss with manipulating the market, but rather make changes in the way profits are distributed between farmers, the government and developers," said the paper.

Some experts told the Beijing Times that the greatest resistance to increased compensation would be from local governments.

"When farmers get more, government revenue reduces," said Zheng Fenghe, a professor at Renmin University.

"Who can ensure that local governments will distribute money according to the regulation?” public policy expert Yang Linjie told the Beijing Times.

"Good regulations are not always thoroughly carried out by local governments," said Yang.