XIAMEN -- Two Chinese runners died on Saturday after they collapsed at Xiamen International Half-Marathon in southeast China's Fujian province, according to the local organizing committee.

A runner, with the surname Lin, fell down and suffered sudden heart failure with 4.5 kilometers to go before the finish. The other runner, surnamed Wu, fell down after crossing the finish line.

Both runners were given first aid by medical staff and immediately sent to hospital, where they were pronounced died.

The organizers expressed their deep condolences to the runners' families.

The Xiamen International Half-Marathon used to be a spin-off race of the annual IAAF gold label race Xiamen International marathon, which will be staged on Jan. 2, 2017, and has been separated as an independent race since 2016. The organizers did not demand compulsory physical exams in the registration process for participants.