21 die in extreme weather in China ultramarathon

BEIJING (AP) — Twenty-one people running a mountain cross-country ultramarathon have died in northwestern China after hail, freezing rain and gale-force winds hit the high-altitude race. After an all-night rescue operation in freezing temperatures involving more than 700 personnel, rescuers were able to confirm that 151 people were safe, out of a total of 172 participants. Twenty-one died, the official Xinhua News Agency said Sunday. Saturday’s race was held on an extremely narrow mountain path at an altitude reaching nearly 10,000 feet. One runner who quit the race says his fingers grew numb from the cold, and other runners wern’t dressed for winter-like conditions, many wearing short-sleeved tops.