A marathon in southern Taiwan sparked an uproar Sunday. Organizers accidentally gave winners Type 95 rifle-shaped trophies, which mimic firearms used by China’s army.
The Fongshan Marathon team quickly apologized and promised to fix the Taiwan marathon rifle trophies mistake quickly.
The race happened in Kaohsiung’s Fongshan District. Runners crossed three military schools: the Military Academy, Fongshan Army Infantry School, and Chung Cheng Preparatory School. Organizer Hsu admitted the error. “The co-organizer messed up,” he said. “These aren’t Taiwan’s rifles.” New trophies are on the way.
今天在一场台军方协办的马拉松比赛中，发放的奖杯是中国人民解放军的95 式自动步枪🤣🤣🤣🤣
“靠北，給你發95啦~” pic.twitter.com/auQHWhB7Y9
— Eason Mao☢ (@KELMAND1) March 16, 2025The Kaohsiung City Fongshan Jogging Association co-ran the event. They picked the rifle design for its military vibe—not politics. “No hidden agenda here,” they insisted. They urged folks to skip false claims. The group wants focus on their hard work, not the blunder.
你敢信嘛？台湾陆军官校举办2025凤山跑三校越野马拉松比赛，获奖🏆奖杯造型居然是大陆95式步枪！
没错，你猜对了，居然还是淘宝进的货…这钱也太好赚了吧！
这就是这周末3月15日的事儿啊！
这家伙，解放军来了，看到手持这个奖杯的，还不好处理了。#Taiwan pic.twitter.com/dqGB2Y46fu
— 零敲牛皮糖537.7 (@LQniupitang) March 16, 2025Steps are in motion. The trophy maker is crafting replacements. Staff will contact winners soon. The army, which lent the venues, chimed in, too. They’ll nudge organizers to double-check next time. They hope this Taiwan marathon rifle trophies fiasco won’t repeat.
