China has punished four of its athletes who failed to properly display a sponsor's trademark on their chests while running in the Beijing Marathon in October.

The Chinese Athletic Association fined men's runner-up Ren Longyun 10,000 yuan ($1,360) in a decision made out of "respect for the sponsor".

Three other runners, including women's runner-up Zhang Yingying, were fined 3,000 yuan. A report in the China Youth Daily yesterday said it was the first such punishment handed down by the athletics association.

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