Ultramarathoners battle heat, fatigue, wildlife and each other, but none ever believed they would blame race organizers for fatal injuries to a fellow competitor.
But that's what's happening this week, after American Nicholas Kruse passed away just days after collapsing in the 250km Gobi Desert ultramarathon in China, according to nzherald.co.nz.
"The organization was atrocious," competitor Lisa Tamati told the Herald. "Five strong runners offered to go up and get him down but the organization mucked around and instead eventually sent up doctors, doctors who aren't runners or fast or strong.
"No one was sure what was happening and no one would give us answers," she added. "Hours later the rescuers came back into camp along with the last of the struggling other runners."
Kruse collapsed 1.5 kilometers from the end of the fourth stage, and died three days later in hospital.
