Who’s At Fault When 21 Ultramarathoners Die in a Race?

By Jon Heshka, Associate Professor at Thompson Rivers University On May 22, 2021, 21 ultramarathoners died in the world’s single largest mass casualty incident during a race. It occurred in the Yellow River Stone Forest Park near Baiyin, a city in China’s Gansu province. An ultramarathon is any race longer than a marathon which is 26.2 miles. The Baiyin ultramarathon was 62 miles in length. Like marathons and triathlons which used to be on the lunatic fringe but are now mainstream,