ORGANISERS CAUGHT ALMOST 250 runners cheating in the Shenzhen half marathon as police traffic cameras showed them taking shortcuts on the 13.1 mile distance course.

Footage taken from the on-street cameras clearly shows as many as 237 people cutting through bushes onto an adjacent section of the course, rather than following the route.

Organisers say those caught, who now face lifetime bans from the event, would have shaved three kilometres off their route, greatly improving their finishing times. 

In addition, 18 other runners were also discovered to be wearing fake bibs, while three were described by organisers as ‘imposters’, during the event which attracts 16,000 runners annually. 

“We deeply regret the violations that occurred during the event. Marathon running is not simply exercise, it is a metaphor for life, and every runner is responsible for him or herself,” organisers said. 

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