<b>People are drawing different conclusions.
</b>
Some claim running marathon has always been a risky undertaking from the very start, for the first marathon runner - the messenger who ran from Marathon to Athens on August 12, 490 BC, bearing tidings of a victory in battle - died after the heroic run. But he likely died from heatstroke.
The recent spate of sports-related deaths are new evidence of the declining health of Chinese young people.
According to a report by the State Administration of Sports and the Ministry of Education September last year, the health of Chinese college students has seen steadily deterioration for the past 25 years, particularly in terms of their cardio-vascular function.
In 2010, the students who were studied were, on average, 10 percent less in vital capacity compared with students in 1985.
In face of recent deaths, colleges and universities are taking action - by discouraging students from taking part in events deemed risky.
In Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, at least 30 colleges and universities have decided not to include long-distance running in sports activities, to protect students from potential injuries and, more importantly, to protect the schools themselves from potential litigations in case of student injuries.
In a recent interview with the Oriental Morning Post, Guan Jun, a PE teacher at Xinzhong Senior High School in Zhabei District, said that it's risky to conduct physical education classes today.
<b>Fear of litigation</b>
"In the past, parents would not take a sprain or minor injury too seriously, but today some parents might make a scene at the school, or even threaten to go to court for mere scratches," he said. "Ultimately, the blame would be shifted to PE teachers."
As a precaution, some schools no longer require vigorous running laps, and stressful drills are minimized.
In primary schools the precautions can be so extreme that juanyang - raising children in pen like domestic animals - is becoming the norm today.
A third grader attending a primary school in Pudong said that except for two days a week, his class is not allowed to leave their seats, even during the lunch break, unless they have fulfilled their in-class assignment; assignments keep most students busy during breaks, thereby minimizing outdoor exposure.
People in Hainan enjoy warm weather
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