Chinese marathon investigates runners for public urination

A group of runners urinate on a school sign during the 2025 Suzhou Marathon in China. Photo taken from Weibo

Photos circulating on social media Weibo show a group of runners were urinating on a school sign near the starting line. School staff confirmed the incident and said they would report it to authorities. Another image captured three athletes pissing in a flower bed just steps away from a portable toilet. At this tournament, the organizing committee has provided hundreds of portable toilets along the route.

The incident has sparked widespread criticism on social media. Some users debated whether it was due to urgency or a lack of public awareness, with many calling for fines or even bans for those involved.

In Suzhou, public urination is illegal and punishable by a fine of 1,000 yuan ($137.27).

The Suzhou Bureau of Sports and the organizer have launched a full investigation, reviewing security footage and social media evidence to identify violators. In a statement, they strongly condemned the behavior and urged the public to provide additional photos and videos, Canadian Running Magazine reported.

"We have informed the relevant departments and initiated an investigation," the statement read. "Moving forward, we aim to enforce stricter regulations and enhance supervision to promote a culture of respect in future races."

Three runners take a piss in a flower bed right behind the portable toilets during the marathon. Photo taken from Weibo

Public urination at major races is not a new problem in China. A similar controversy occurred during the 2013 Beijing Marathon, where inadequate toilet facilities led to the infamous "red wall of urination" phenomenon, named after runners wearing red bibs.

Since then, marathon organizers have significantly increased the number of portable toilets at race venues. However, with the rapid growth of the running scene in China, incidents of public urination continued.

The Suzhou Marathon is one of China's largest annual races, officially certified by the Chinese Athletics Federation and organized by the local government. This year's event attracted more than 160,000 registrants, with only 9.67% securing a spot through the lottery, resulting in around 25,000 participants.