Chinese Athletic Association has denied Japanese press reports that runners from Japan were being excluded from the Beijing Marathon.The Chinese Athletic Association has denied Japanese press reports that runners from Japan were being excluded from the Beijing Marathon later this month. An on-line registration form had excluded Japan from an otherwise comprehensive list of participating nationalities. A spokesman for the Association said it had been rare in the past for Japanese runners to sign up as individuals. So the country had not been listed. He said all countries were welcome and the list would now be amended.