Email
Athletes donning face masks, running though clouds of smog became the latest image of China’s air pollution crisis as thousands took part in the Beijing marathon amid “hazardous” levels of smog.
Around 30,000 runners were registered to take part in Beijing’s marathon, although the state-controlled China Daily newspaper reported that many runners quit due to health concerns. One participant, Chen Xiaohui, told the newspaper that he dropped out of the marathon because of fears for his health. “A marathon represents a healthy way of living life, not the opposite,” he was quoted as saying.
The marathon is one of the largest sporting events in China. There was criticism of the orgainisers for not cancelling the race. One of the event’s organising committee, Wang Dawei, was quoted as saying they didn’t foresee the high levels of pollution and added that the date may be changed in the coming years to a time of year where there is less likely to be bad smog.
Last year there there similar scenes at the Shanghai marathon which was held in December. This year the race has been moved to the start of November which is thought to be an effort to avoid the high levels of pollution usual in the city in December.
At 10am on Sunday Beijing’s air quality index hit 360, according to figures from the US embassy. A reading above 300 is considered hazardous and as posing a health risk, it is advised that outdoor exercise should be avoided at this level. Levels reached more than 400 later in the day.
Internet users criticised the organisers for not rescheduling the race and for putting participants health at risk. Photos circulated on Chinese social media site Weibo and Twitter of some participants wearing masks ranging from the basic paper types up to gas-mask like masks. One user on Twitter uploaded a photo of his mask before and after the race. In the after photo, the filter on the mask had turned a dirty grey.
