Marathon organizers have been urged to strengthen regulations and punish those who cheat to qualify for races, following a lawsuit involving illegal trading of race entries.

With the demand for marathon participation surging, the trading of spots in races between legal registrants and runners who failed to qualify has become common.

A case involving the death of a runner, which was heard by the Haicang District People's Court in Xiamen, Fujian province, on Wednesday, highlighted the importance of scrutinizing participants' identities and strengthening event management.