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A man was removed from a Hong Kong marathon after he was spotted running part of the race with a baby strapped to his chest, an incident that has sparked public outcry.
Videos shared on social media showed the man taking part in the full marathon on 18 January while carrying an infant in a front-mounted baby carrier. The baby appeared to be wearing a small jacket with a race bib pinned to it. The runner also had a backpack on and was holding a mobile phone in one hand.
According to official tracking data, the male runner started the race at 6.25am in the first wave of the men’s marathon. He reached the 15km point in about two hours and 20 minutes, moving at an average pace of around nine minutes per kilometre.
Race officials stopped him shortly after that point and asked him to leave the course. He did not complete the race.
The Hong Kong, China Association of Athletics Affiliates (HKAAA), which organises the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon, later confirmed that the runner was disqualified for breaking race rules.
“Runners must adhere to the official competition rules and refrain from any actions during the race that could pose a danger to themselves or others,” the organisation said in a statement.
“Race officials requested the violated (sic) runner to retire and leave the racecourse immediately during (the) event to ensure safety,” the association added.
The organisation later told the South China Morning Post that the runner had also been banned from taking part in future events.
The video footage showed the baby’s head bouncing as the runner moved forward. Although he appeared to be supporting the child’s neck with one hand and was moving slowly, many viewers said the situation was dangerous.
One social media user wrote: “The baby could easily have suffered a concussion.”
Another said: “If he had tripped and fallen forward, the baby could have been crushed.”
Others questioned how the runner was able to pass multiple checkpoints before being stopped, despite the baby being clearly visible.
On the YouTube page of TVB News in Hong Kong, one commenter wrote: “I can’t believe he did that. He totally disregarded the baby’s safety. The baby’s brain is still developing, and the baby cannot take the bouncing up and down pressure.”
“He should be arrested for child endangerment,” the commenter added.
Another wrote: “I can’t imagine what it’s like for the baby to go through 42km of rough ride, sun and car tunnel air.”
