Mountain climbing is about the journey, but the moment you reach the summit, all your efforts seem to have been made just to witness the view from the highest point. Before that landscape, your world feels incredibly vast.
— Excerpted from Chen Jie’s Sina Weibo post at 23:28 on November 17
The moment Chen Jie crossed the 10-kilometer finish line, he must have experienced a sense of success and joy similar to reaching the mountaintop. Unfortunately, his young life also came to an end. Early yesterday morning, one of Chen Jie’s roommates was awakened by a call from their counselor, who asked him to bring a set of clean clothes for Chen Jie to the hospital. The roommate thought his condition had improved and that he needed fresh clothes. But when the clothes were delivered to the ICU, he was met with the tragic news of Chen Jie’s death.
The marathon was established to commemorate a soldier named Pheidippides, who ran 42 kilometers to deliver a message to Athens—and then died. He was the founder of the sport and also its first fatality.
Chen Jie, 21, was a third-year student at Guangdong AIB Polytechnic College, majoring in Marketing and Exhibition at Class 2 of the Business Department. As the class monitor, he participated in the 10-kilometer event of the inaugural Guangzhou Marathon on November 18 and suffered shock, leading to complications from severe ischemia in multiple organs, which resulted in his death. Had the accident not occurred, he would have taken his university graduation photos in just a few days.
Roommates remember his kindness
Chen Jie’s death left all his classmates at a loss—he often exercised and gave the impression of being extremely healthy.
Yesterday, reporters met Chen Jie’s roommates at the dormitory of the East Campus of Guangdong AIB Polytechnic College. His classmates who also participated in the Guangzhou Marathon spoke quietly about the monitor’s virtues, like children who had done something wrong.
In the eyes of his classmates, Chen Jie was a sociable person. As the class monitor of Exhibition Class 2, he frequently organized activities for his classmates and events for the younger students. His QQ album contains 2,461 photos, most of which document his participation in club activities during his time at school.
He was also the big brother that his fellow students couldn’t do without. His roommate said Chen Jie was very responsible and often took on the task of cleaning the dorm by himself. Moreover, he had top academic performance and was a role model for the class.
In the eyes of his teachers, he was a reliable class cadre with a strong sense of responsibility. On Chen Jie’s computer desk bookshelf, there is a blue folder containing various specific operational documents issued by the school, such as applications for student loans. In front of his laptop lies an advertising marketing textbook with a note tucked inside, listing the names and ID numbers of students who received financial aid.
Climbed a mountain the day before the marathon
On November 18, Chen Jie and five other classmates participated in the 10-kilometer Guangzhou Marathon. After signing up in mid-September, the six of them began intensifying their long-distance running training. According to the participants, they ran two to three times a week, circling the track 20 times each time. The day before the race, he also organized freshmen from his major to climb Huolu Mountain together.
His roommate recalled that on the morning of the race, around 6 a.m., the six students ate bread in the dormitory. After breakfast, they took a bus and then the subway to the starting point at Huacheng Square. Before the start, he and his classmates were laughing and chatting. He even posted a Weibo update halfway through the race: “Finished five kilometers!”
Mother regrets not reminding him to be more careful before the race
Yesterday, Chen Jie’s cousin told reporters over the phone that Chen Jie had called his mother to say he had signed up for the marathon. “His mother said painfully yesterday that she had forgotten the time of her son’s race, otherwise she would have reminded him to be extra cautious while running.”
The cousin recalled that after Chen Jie went into shock on November 18 and was sent to the hospital for emergency treatment, his family immediately rushed from Shenzhen to Guangzhou. “At that time, he was conscious. Though he couldn’t speak, he could write on a board. He wrote requests such as ‘drink water’ and ‘go to the toilet.’” The family’s heavy hearts were slightly eased, and no one thought the worst. That night, the family went to a hotel to rest.
At around 9 p.m. on November 18, the doctor called to say Chen Jie’s heart had stopped beating again, and the doctor asked the family to come to the hospital immediately to sign for emergency treatment. The rescue continued until 4 a.m. yesterday. The doctor said Chen Jie had already lost consciousness during the process. The doctor explained that Chen Jie’s heart had briefly resumed beating during the rescue, but the severe ischemia in multiple organs led to complications, and he ultimately could not be saved.
Last night, reporters called Chen Jie’s counselor, Teacher Qiao, who answered with a tired voice, “I’m very tired,” and then hung up.
■ Online tributes
@NingXinXi: The unbearable weight of life. Gone like the flowing river. Senior brother, rest in peace!!!
@yelong’s Room: A college junior dies suddenly in a marathon, and middle schools cancel long-distance running. Kids these days have such poor physical fitness—it gives us pause. Middle schools cancel long-distance running partly out of fear of liability, but students get most of their exercise at school. If this continues, can their physical health possibly improve?
@ChasingWindGirlQingzhu: A 21-year-old college student dies of sudden cardiac arrest after crossing the marathon finish line. Data shows that college students’ physical fitness has been declining for 25 years. Compared to 1985, lung capacity has dropped nearly 10%. Once entering the workforce, they exercise even less, so even running a long-distance race is no guarantee of safety.
@//@LoneRunnerVincent94: The screening system is flawed. In France, participants must provide a doctor’s health certificate, and doctors are held accountable if something goes wrong.
Grey memories of the marathon
On February 5, 2012, during the Hong Kong Marathon, a 26-year-old male runner collapsed into a coma after crossing the finish line and was confirmed dead after being taken to the hospital.
In October 2011, during the Toronto Waterfront Marathon, a 27-year-old man died suddenly just 300 meters from the finish line.
In November 2010, during the “Silver Strand Half Marathon Open” in San Diego, USA, a 32-year-old Chinese participant suddenly collapsed and fell into a coma less than 1 kilometer from the finish line. Despite being rushed to the hospital, resuscitation efforts failed, and he was pronounced dead.
In October 2009, three participants died suddenly during the 32nd Detroit Marathon.
In November 2008, two runners in the New York City Marathon passed away from sudden heart attacks shortly after completing the full course.
■ Expert Advice
If you feel chest tightness or shortness of breath, stop exercising immediately.
For healthy individuals, marathon running itself is not life-threatening. However, people with cardiovascular or cerebrovascular diseases are more prone to incidents during exercise. There have been cases of athletes collapsing in sports like volleyball and boxing, and marathons, with their particularly high intensity and long duration, can easily trigger underlying heart or brain conditions or genetic illnesses, leading to sudden death. Therefore, experts recommend that ordinary individuals planning to participate in a marathon undergo a comprehensive medical check-up before the race and maintain good regular exercise habits.
Additionally, it’s generally not recommended to drink too much water during the race. If you’re really thirsty, you can take small sips (about 200 milliliters) halfway through the race. The water temperature should be slightly lower than body temperature, around 15°C. It’s not advisable to drink ice-cold or hot water. After the race, it’s recommended to drink some lightly salted water to prevent electrolyte imbalance. Add 0.3 to 0.5 grams of salt per 100 milliliters of water, and sip it slowly—about 200 milliliters every 15 minutes. If lightly salted water isn’t available, sports drinks are also a good option.
If you experience chest tightness or shortness of breath during the race, adjust your breathing and stop if necessary. Non-professional athletes often breathe once every two or three steps. If you're used to this rhythm, it's fine, but if you start feeling chest tightness or shortness of breath during the race, you should immediately slow down and adjust your breathing to once every four or five steps. This helps improve ventilation efficiency and alleviate symptoms of oxygen deficiency. If these adjustments don’t relieve the discomfort, you should exit the race immediately and seek medical attention, as it could be a precursor to a cardiovascular event.
Pace yourself throughout the entire race. A marathon is a competitive sport, and many people get caught up in the atmosphere and start off too fast, which is actually not advisable. You should distribute your energy wisely throughout the race and run within your limits. For the first ten or so kilometers, try to maintain a steady pace, and only gradually increase your speed after you’ve passed the halfway point.