Twenty-one dead in China marathon race tragedy as freak weather hits cross-country

Twenty-one people running a mountain marathon cross-country race have died in northwestern China after hail, freezing rain and gale winds hit the high-altitude track, state media reported Sunday.

The rescue headquarters quoted by the official Xinhua News Agency said the participants suffered from physical discomfort and the sudden drop in temperature.

Some went missing in the extreme weather, when the 100 kilometer race in the Yellow River Stone Forest tourist site in Baiyin city in Gansu province was halted.

Rough, complex terrain made the search and rescue effort extremely difficult. Photo / Twitter

Early Sunday, rescuers found 21 dead, including the last of the five missing following an all-night search that involved more than 700 personnel. The operation was made difficult by low temperatures and the complex terrain and topography.

The runners were racing on an extremely narrow mountain path at high altitude, a reporter for state broadcaster CCTV said.

The race took a tragic turn. Photo / Twitter

Baiyin Mayor Zhang Xuchen held a news conference and apologised as the organiser of the event.

Emergency worked quickly arrived on the scene. Photo / Twitter

"We express deep condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims and the injured," the mayor said.

He said that at around midday a section of the ultramarathon course - between kilometres 20 and 31 - was "suddenly affected by disastrous weather".

"In a short period of time, hailstones and ice rain suddenly fell in the local area, and there were strong winds. The temperature sharply dropped," Zhang said.

A total of 172 people had joined the race and 151 are confirmed to be safe. Some were treated for minor injuries and were stable, Xinhua said.