China dad handed 3-year race ban after dragging rope-tied son around marathon

A marathon runner in China who dragged a nine-year-old boy around a half-marathon using a rope has been handed a three-year ban and had his result erased.

Video clips of the child with a rope around his waist struggling to keep up as the pair competed in the Zhengzhou Marathon in Henan province have gone viral, and sparked intense debate online.

While some social media users expressed surprise at the boy’s endurance, most condemned the incident, which is believed to have involved a father and son, as a dangerous breach of safety rules.

According to official competition regulations, runners must be at least 20 years old for a full marathon and 18 for a half-marathon.