Taiwan's annual marathon held on military grounds has sparked controversy after mistakenly using a rifle used by China's People's Liberation Army as the trophy design. The organizers have apologized and said they will pay more attention to detail in the future.
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00:00Three, two, one, go!
00:04And they're off.
00:06Taiwan's Three Schools Marathon,
00:08the only foot race that takes place inside military areas,
00:11is underway in Kaohsiung.
00:13But it hasn't gone off without a hitch.
00:15Controversy erupted online
00:17when several people noticed something wrong with the trophy,
00:20which features a rifle,
00:21strikingly similar to one used by China's People's Liberation Army.
00:25At first, I thought it was a six-gun.
00:27The military uses this kind of trophy.
00:29Maybe they didn't pay attention to it.
00:31Because a lot of trophies in Taiwan are made in China.
00:35This year's marathon attracted 2,500 participants,
00:39many of them former or retired service members.
00:42And while many were surprised about the trophy's design,
00:44some also said they hadn't immediately caught the difference
00:47after years away from the military.
00:49The marathon was organized by the Fengshan Jogging Association
00:53and the office of Xu Zhijie,
00:55a lawmaker from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party.
00:58Several politicians attended,
01:00and it had the official support of Taiwan's Defense Ministry
01:02and the Army Command Headquarters.
01:05Yet, no one seems to have noticed the issue with the trophy's design.
01:08Because you have to show it to the public in detail.
01:13You can't just randomly pass by.
01:17The organizers have apologized,
01:19promising to replace the trophies
01:20and to pay more attention in the future.
01:23I apologize to the organizers
01:25for using non-Chinese military guns to make the trophy.
01:30I have asked for immediate refunds
01:33and apologize to the relevant organizations and people.
01:38The marathon offers a chance for many of the runners
01:40to relive their time in the military.
01:43But the mistake,
01:44from an event meant to celebrate Taiwan's military
01:46and national identity,
01:48has left some feeling confused and embarrassed.
01:51Scott Huang and Chelsea Wu for Taiwan Plus.