Yonghui Sports apologised on November 2 after crowding at a seafood-serving area beyond the Yantai Marathon finish, VnExpress reported. The November 1 incident in Shandong included people pressing around food tables and one table being knocked over.
Peak arrivals exceeded serving speed
According to the operator's statement relayed by VnExpress, more than 5,500 runners finished between 9.30am and 10am. Each batch of seafood required about 20 minutes to prepare, leaving service unable to match simultaneous arrivals.
Yonghui Sports acknowledged underestimating demand despite preparing food beforehand. It said disorder was concentrated in the peak period and earlier distribution had proceeded normally.
The article also cited the event's communications representative explaining that the seafood area was a sponsor activity, separate from official on-course aid stations. Participants reached it after finishing procedures while moving towards shuttle transport.
Measures and future commitments
The statement said organisers added security staff and volunteers, barriers and loudspeaker guidance. The operator reported that order was restored and later arrivals were still served.
For future editions, it promised more cooking batches, staged food preparation, greater queuing space and better estimates of simultaneous finishers. These are announced remedies, without a later event yet demonstrating their effectiveness.
Some circulating reports suggested non-runners joined the crowd, but organisers had not confirmed numbers. The next issue is implementation of the logistical changes; online comments do not establish conclusions about all participants or the local community.