A participant in the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon found himself disqualified from the January 18 event after he ran nearly one-third of the race with a baby in a chest-mounted carrier.
The race’s organizers, the Hong Kong, China Association of Athletics Affiliates (HKAAA), asked the runner to leave the course to ensure participant safety, the South China Morning Post reported. Outside reached out to the organization for comment on the incident and will update this article if a response is received.
Videos shared on social media show the man’s race bib, which was pinned to the front of the child carrier. According to his live-tracking results, he (and the baby) started the race at 6:25 A.M. and averaged about 15 minutes per mile until about 9 miles into the 26.2-mile race. That’s when he was disqualified.
Some marathons allow runners to push a child in a stroller, but not the Hong Kong Marathon. Official rules state that runners are not allowed to bring anyone under 16 or anyone not wearing an official race bib onto the course. Rule-breakers are removed from the race.
In addition to the baby carrier, videos show Wang running with a backpack and a large cell phone in one hand. In the footage, Wang is moving slowly and supporting the child’s head and neck with his free hand. Still, the infant’s head can be seen bobbing up and down.
Some pediatric experts say that running with a baby in a chest carrier can be dangerous because of shaking and impact. It’s possible, for example, that if Wang were to fall, he would injure the baby.
Infants also lack the developed neck muscles to support their heavy heads, and the aggressive, rhythmic jostling of running can lead to injuries similar to shaken baby syndrome. According to the Mayo Clinic, this repetitive motion can cause permanent brain damage and even death. That’s why health organizations like the Public Health Agency of Canada explicitly state that parents should never “use a carrier or sling when you’re running or cycling.”
Happy Baby Carriers, for instance, warns users to avoid activities that involve excessive movement, such as running or jumping, noting that these bouncing motions can be damaging to a baby’s developing neck, spine, and brain.
A 2021 study by the American Academy of Pediatrics found that baby-wearing products result in a higher risk of both injury and hospitalization for children less than one year old. Between 2011 and 2020, researchers documented over 14,000 injuries related to baby carriers, resulting either from the wearer falling or the infant falling out of the device.
The disqualification is a reminder that although taking your little one along on an athletic adventure can be appealing, some events just aren’t made for babies. Marathons are unpredictable environments filled with thousands of moving bodies, discarded cups, and slick, hard pavement. Navigating that chaos is hard enough for a solo runner; doing it with an infant strapped to your chest is a gamble no parent should take.
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