White Strip Covering Roads Where 20,000 Chinese Runners Passed... What It Is

Roads turned completely white.

They were tens of thousands of paper cups.

Various types of garbage, such as banana peels, were piled densely not only on the roads but even around neatly landscaped trees.

This was the scene after the Shenyang Marathon in China concluded on September 6, drawing over 22,000 participants.

Photos and videos of the uncleaned roads continued to spread online for a while after the event, sparking controversy.

While water and snacks are essential for running athletes, disposable cups and trash that were trampled and tossed into bushes and along the roadsides were left completely uncollected.

With paper cups coated in plastic taking time to fully decompose, criticisms followed that they could place a burden on the urban environment.

As criticism from local netizens intensified, the Shenyang Municipal Bureau of Sports stepped in to explain, stating, "After the race concluded, all paper cups on the roads and green areas were collected, and on-site inspections were completed."

They added, "Discarding paper cups around water stations is a common phenomenon in nationwide marathon events, and due to regulations, it is difficult to immediately introduce practical eco-friendly alternatives."

This bitter aftermath left behind by a large-scale sporting event is assessed as having raised challenges regarding the water supply systems and environmental management plans of marathon events.

(Produced by SBS Digital News | Reported by Lee Hyeon-yeong | Video Editing by Na Hong-hee | Design by Yang Hye-min)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.