After series of mishaps, the Chinese Athletics Association (CAA) announced a list of violations and punishments after a meeting on Sunday. 

Incidents include a flag-passing mishap during the Suzhou Taihu International Marathon, a cheating scandal in which more than 250 runners took shortcuts during the 2018 Shenzhen International Marathon and a staff member stopping an Ethiopian athlete at the finish line to take a photo during the Nanning International Marathon.

According to the new rules, the event's organizing committees will be penalized if violations occur and are also required to submit a written report to the CAA.

The decision is based on the management measures for Chinese marathons and related sports events in order to strictly discipline and maintain fair competition.

The decision comes amid a marathon boom across the country in recent years. In 2017 alone, nearly five million people took part in 1,102 registered running events in China, almost 20 times the 2014 number, according to reports.