"Before the Pots Were Even Set Down"... Marathon Participants Snatch Hot Clams Barehanded, China in Uproar

5,500 Finishers Crowd the Area, Sending It into Chaos
Organizers Apologize: "We Didn't Anticipate Participants' Enthusiasm"

Chaos broke out at a seafood distribution event organized for marathon finishers in China as participants crowded around to collect the food. Participants jostled as they scooped up hot clams with their bare hands and put them into bags, causing such a commotion that even the food tables toppled over. The organizers apologized, saying they had not anticipated participants converging all at once, and announced measures to prevent a recurrence.

The scene descended into chaos at a marathon held on the 1st in Yantai, Shandong Province, as participants crowded to grab seafood supplies. Chinese social media...

Food Distribution Area Overrun by Participants... Scene Descends into Chaos

According to recent reports by Chinese media outlets, including The Paper, major chaos broke out at a marathon held on November 1 in Yantai, Shandong Province, as multiple participants scrambled to put the seafood provisions supplied to finishers into bags and take them away. The event has been held every year to showcase Yantai's local character as a city known for seafood by serving local food to finishers.

Videos that spread online showed participants holding bags and grabbing freshly cooked clams from one another. Reports said the crowd surged all at once, causing even the tables holding the food to collapse.

In response to the controversy over the scramble for seafood provisions, an official from the marathon organizing committee said it had been difficult to control the situation at the venue. "We couldn't stop them. We were in a situation where we had no way to manage order at the venue," the official said. "Before the pots were even brought out, people rushed in and grabbed the food without realizing it was hot." The official added, "This happens every year. No matter how many security staff we add, we can't control the middle-aged women."

The marathon in Yantai, Shandong Province, on the 1st descended into chaos as participants crowded to grab seafood refreshments. The Paper

Organizers: "We Didn't Anticipate Participants' Enthusiasm"

As the controversy spread, the organizers eventually issued an apology on November 2 through the marathon's official social media account. They said they had prepared 5,000 kg of scallops, 750 kg of black clams, 500 kg of Muntzu (pan-fried sweet potato jelly), and 1,000 kg of ginger tea for the event, adding, "We seriously underestimated the finishers' enthusiasm."

The organizers said, "The seafood provisions had to be cooked on-site, and it takes about 20 minutes to cook one pot. The rate at which food could be served could not keep up with the influx of participants arriving all at once, which led to a queue in the distribution area."

The organizers also apologized for the disruption during the event and said they would review the entire operation and draw up improvements.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.