Participants run through a bridge above the sea during the Qingdao Marathon on November 11, 2018. (Xinhua)

XIAMEN, China, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- China will put in more efforts to keep running races clean after a flurry of scandals clouded over marathons in the country, said a top official of the Chinese Athletics Association (CAA) on Thursday.

CAA vice president Wang Nan made the remarks at the 3rd China Marathon Expo, days before the IAAF gold label Xiamen Marathon, which is to see 35,000 runners to compete in the coastal city in southeastern China.

China has seen a boom of marathon races in recent years. In 2011, China only hosted 22 running events nationwide, but the number soared to 1,102 in 2017, according to the association.

But with the rising popularity, a number of problems also came in such as cheating by runners and unprofessional behaviors of the organizers.

"Despite widespread debate on recent controversies, most people focus on how rules and regulations to be observed rather than simply rant and rave at delinquent runners or organizers," Wang said.

"Last year saw the tipping point of China's marathon development, which is switching from high-speed boom towards a trajectory of viable and quality development," Wang added.