ASK YOURSELF WHY
C o l u m n
Stark Comparison
This approach to the medical care of runners is , quite simply , on a different level in China , and gives perspective to the Comrades Marathon ’ s annual claim to have the largest medical facility outside of a warzone , which is unfortunately an embarrassingly outdated approach by comparison . How would Comrades match the internationally accepted standard of getting a paramedic to the patient within three minutes of collapsing , particularly in sudden cardiac collapse ? The notification procedures aren ’ t even in place at Comrades ( and most other SA races ), let alone the ability of medical staff to get to the patient through the runnerpacked route , which even at 18,000 entrants is smaller than many of the Chinese races . Every minute lost in such cases is said to result in a 10 % degradation to the state of the resuscitated patient .
Meanwhile , the international focus on treatment on the route results in probably the smallest medical tents at the finish of these Chinese races , usually no more than six metres by six metres , although still manned fully stocked and manned to help anybody who overdoes it at the finish . Instead , at the end of Chinese races , recovery is a focus for the runners , commencing with the collection of a bag containing water electrolyte , food and blankets , before they enter massive halls or allocated areas with shallow ice-pools . The runners are given thin ‘ protective socks ’ to pull on from foot to knee and can sit with their legs in ice-cold water , and there is literally an army of stretch therapists who move and manipulate limbs through ranges of motion that most Chinese adopt daily , but which many South African club runners have rarely attempted !
This is a game-changer in many aspects : Refreshment tables are never understaffed , and junctions are never short of marshals , police or authorities , who ensure 100 % compliance with road closures . In one event , the local taxi association parked cars across the road or in driveways to create road closures as a formal contribution to the traffic plan . Why wouldn ’ t they assist ? The community is much more aware of the benefits and returns of having so many visitors to their cities , and the media coverage of a 20,000-plus participation event .
Leading the Medical Way
It is this ability and willingness to mobilise numbers that puts the standard Chinese event medical provisions at the very best in the world . There are medical observers or First Aiders at 100-metre intervals along the entire route . That ’ s 420 people armed with basic kit as well as communication to a medical command centre , with the latter not only controlling the reaction , but in many cases immediately replenishing the items that may have been used in attending to someone along the route .
Collapses are directed to a fleet of paramedics on scooters ( electric , of course ) or similar high-speed two-wheelers allocated to sectors around the route , each armed with an Automated External Defibrillator ( AED ). One marathon I attended had 168 AED ’ s available from start to finish of a 42km , 21km and 10km : That ’ s over two per kilometre , even if each distance was an entirely separate route !
One race I attended had paramedics equipped with audio visual helmets that connected the paramedic to three medical specialists in a tent at the finish , where the patient ’ s race number brought up the key medical information to allow the specialists to test , diagnose and treat the runner remotely from the finish venue . Treatment along the route is the primary approach in most events , however , and this is achieved with a medical professional stationed in every kilometre , small medical facilities every 2.5km , and more comprehensive stations every 5km .
( Obviously , it must be conceded that the Comrades is an 87-90km ultra-marathon , so we ’ re not comparing apples and apples here , the contrast between what South African races offer in terms of medical facilities starkly contrasts with Chinese races . Meanwhile , it is actually 5km races that pose the highest medical risk to runners , not ultra-marathons , due to the overall higher intensity of the running , and the fact that many participants can be undertrained and unfit , and can easily overdo things by trying to race too fast .)
Technical Revisions
The rapid growth of road running in China has resulted in some delay in the technical provisions , but the Chinese Athletic Association ( CAA ) has already grown to provide a dedicated marathon department in its national office in Beijing . Due to the massive participation their marathons are attracting , there has been a review of lining up and start procedures , which has forced the widespread use of nett timing ( mat-to-mat ) for many of the racing and category awards . Consideration is also being given to the adoption of a similar contender system to that adopted in South Africa , such that those interested in winning prizes will be seeded to the front of the start , and recreational runners will commence behind , or even at a separate start time .
The Label races offer good ‘ Dollar prize money ,’ ranging upwards of US $ 15,000 with incentives for records and times . The prizes go down to 8th or 10th place for the elite field , and typically there are additional awards down to around 30th or even 50th place for Chinese runners , as well as a dedicated classification for the better runners from that city or district .
For example , at the Shaoxing Marathon , the awards to Chinese runners , whether resident in China or overseas , go down to 100th place and vary from 10,000 Yuan ( R26,000 ) to 400 Yuan ( R1100 ). The top 50 Shaoxing finishers can earn half that amount , with awards down to half the above placings . Then there are also awards for the leading “ group runners ,” where 20 runners enter as a team , with the top 15 runners from the group determining the time and ranking . It ’ s little wonder there is considerable interest in this race , yet the results team are able to churn out the awards sheets in an efficient manner .
Unique Selling Points
With so many races , one might expect the events to becoming boringly similar , but the characteristics , culture , terrain and traditions of each province and city allow for an amazing diversity , even uniqueness . The CAA also has its own sixevent ‘ marathon majors ’ series , and Chengdu , the city of spicey food , the hottest hotpot , and the province of 54 % powerful liquor , is a lead candidate to become the seventh of the Abbott Majors .
Images : Norrie Williamson
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