Ma Junren (simplified Chinese: 马俊仁; traditional Chinese: 馬俊仁; pinyin: Mǎ Jùnrén; born 28 October 1944) is a Chinese former track and field coach. He is best known for training a group of elite female middle- and long-distance runners from Liaoning Province, collectively known as the "Ma Family Army" (马家军), who achieved multiple world records and international medals in the early 1990s.
Early Life and Career
Ma Junren was born in Liaoyang, Liaoning Province, China. He served in the People's Liberation Army from 1962 to 1968, later studied at a physical education training program in Anshan, and worked as a physical education teacher at several middle schools. In 1982, he became a marathon coach for the Liaoning provincial track team, and in 1988 he was appointed coach of the Liaoning women's middle- and long-distance running group.
Coaching Achievements
Under Ma's guidance, his athletes achieved remarkable success. At the 1993 World Championships in Athletics in Stuttgart, Germany, his runners won gold medals in the women's 1500 meters, 3000 meters, and 10,000 meters. Later that year at the 7th National Games of China, members of the "Ma Family Army" broke multiple world records in the 1500 m, 3000 m, and 10,000 m events. Key athletes trained by Ma included Wang Junxia (Olympic gold medalist in 1996) and Qu Yunxia.
Controversies and Doping Allegations
Ma Junren's career was marked by significant controversy. His training methods were described as extremely rigorous, involving high mileage and high-altitude training. He was also accused of physically abusing athletes.
In 1994, a group of athletes led by Wang Junxia submitted a collective resignation, leading to the dissolution of the original "Ma Family Army." In 1995, ten former athletes signed a letter to journalist Zhao Yu alleging that Ma had forced them to use performance-enhancing drugs. Zhao Yu's book Investigation of the Ma Family Army (马家军调查), published in 1998, included a chapter on doping that was initially removed by the publisher but restored in a 2016 reissue.
In 2000, six of seven athletes from Ma's team who had qualified for the Sydney Olympics failed blood tests conducted by the Chinese General Administration of Sport, resulting in the team being removed from the Olympic roster. Former Chinese sports official Yuan Weimin's 2009 memoir confirmed that the Liaoning track team was banned for one year following these tests.
Later Career
Ma Junren retired as deputy director of the Liaoning Provincial Sports Bureau on 1 December 2004. Following his retirement from athletics, he became a breeder of Tibetan mastiffs and served as chairman of the China Tibetan Mastiff Club.
