Post by Guvmintcheeze on Oct 20, 2014 13:50:24 GMT
'Beijing is like a bonfire' as runners forced to complete marathon in gas masks
An estimated 30,000 runners take part in Beijing’s ‘airpocalypse’ annual marathon despite “hazardous” levels of smog
By Tom Phillips, in Shanghai
11:20AM BST 19 Oct 2014
Thousands of athletes were forced to take part in Beijing’s annual marathon wearing pollution-busting facemasks after a toxic fog enveloped the Chinese capital and smog levels soared to “hazardous” levels.
Organisers refused to cancel the megacity’s 34th International Marathon despite warnings from medical and sports experts.
Even the People’s Daily, the Communist Party’s mouthpiece newspaper, cautioned athletes against taking part in the 26.2-mile race, reporting that Beijing’s air was “not suitable for outdoor activities”.
Beijing authorities admitted their city’s air was "severely polluted” on Sunday while the US embassy, which also monitors smog levels, described the situation as "hazardous".
Chas Pope, a Briton living in Beijing, posted this photo on Twitter of a mask before and after running 10K of the marathon. Photo: @china_chas/Twitter
Levels of PM2.5 - a miniscule airborne particulate that has been linked to hearth disease and cancer – hit 344 micrograms per cubic metre, the embassy reported. That is nearly 14 times higher than levels considered safe by the World Health Organisation.
One Chinese runner, who was not named, told the China Business News website he was pulling out of the race because of the smog. It was impossible to run for 26.2 miles without breathing through the mouth, the athlete noted.
Still, most competitors chose to ignore the health warnings, instead donning facemasks they hoped would prevent toxic air invading their lungs as they gathered in Tiananmen Square ahead of the race’s 8am start.
Competitors hoped wearing facemasks would prevent toxic air invading their lungs. Photo: AFP/GETTY
"It was really exhausting," said Ma Dong, a 22-year-old male runner who was among those to use a mask. “Lots of athletes pulled out halfway because of the haze. It was really uncomfortable wearing a mask during the marathon as you can't breathe freely.”
Organisers told the Beijing News they handed out 140,000 water-soaked sponges to athletes, advising them to "clean" their skin after it was “exposed to the air”.
Luo Changping, a Chinese journalist, posted a photograph of one runner sporting a military-style gas mask. “I’m not running the marathon. I’m going back to the World War,” the journalist wrote.
Not all made it to the finish line across town near Beijing’s Bird’s Nest stadium. “Some of the runners have given up in the 2014 Beijing Marathon due to serious air pollution,” the People’s Daily reported.
Ying Wei, a 23-year-old runner, admitted his “lung hurt quite badly during and after the race”.
Beijing authorities admitted their city’s air was "severely polluted” on Sunday while the US embassy, which also monitors smog levels, described the situation as "hazardous". Photo: AFP/GETTY
Runners had “made an outstanding contribution towards clearing Beijing’s haze” by breathing in the smog, joked Zhi Ri Gang, a user of Weibo, China’s Twitter-like microblog. “They should be known as human air purifiers!”
Li Keqiang, China’s prime minister, vowed to “declare war” on pollution in March but Beijing’s “airpocalypse” marathon capped a calamitous month for the city’s environmental authorities.
The race came 10 days after some of the world’s top footballers found themselves stranded in a Beijing hotel after another toxic smog enveloped the city.
Brazilian stars including Neymar, David Luiz and Kaká, the former World Player of the Year, were confined to their five-star hotel after another bout of severe pollution blanketed Beijing on the eve of their match against Argentina.
Being in China’s capital was like “standing next to a bonfire,” Robinho, the former Manchester City striker, told Brazilian reporters.
An estimated 30,000 runners take part in Beijing’s ‘airpocalypse’ annual marathon despite “hazardous” levels of smog
By Tom Phillips, in Shanghai
11:20AM BST 19 Oct 2014
Thousands of athletes were forced to take part in Beijing’s annual marathon wearing pollution-busting facemasks after a toxic fog enveloped the Chinese capital and smog levels soared to “hazardous” levels.
Organisers refused to cancel the megacity’s 34th International Marathon despite warnings from medical and sports experts.
Even the People’s Daily, the Communist Party’s mouthpiece newspaper, cautioned athletes against taking part in the 26.2-mile race, reporting that Beijing’s air was “not suitable for outdoor activities”.
Beijing authorities admitted their city’s air was "severely polluted” on Sunday while the US embassy, which also monitors smog levels, described the situation as "hazardous".
Chas Pope, a Briton living in Beijing, posted this photo on Twitter of a mask before and after running 10K of the marathon. Photo: @china_chas/Twitter
Levels of PM2.5 - a miniscule airborne particulate that has been linked to hearth disease and cancer – hit 344 micrograms per cubic metre, the embassy reported. That is nearly 14 times higher than levels considered safe by the World Health Organisation.
One Chinese runner, who was not named, told the China Business News website he was pulling out of the race because of the smog. It was impossible to run for 26.2 miles without breathing through the mouth, the athlete noted.
Still, most competitors chose to ignore the health warnings, instead donning facemasks they hoped would prevent toxic air invading their lungs as they gathered in Tiananmen Square ahead of the race’s 8am start.
Competitors hoped wearing facemasks would prevent toxic air invading their lungs. Photo: AFP/GETTY
"It was really exhausting," said Ma Dong, a 22-year-old male runner who was among those to use a mask. “Lots of athletes pulled out halfway because of the haze. It was really uncomfortable wearing a mask during the marathon as you can't breathe freely.”
Organisers told the Beijing News they handed out 140,000 water-soaked sponges to athletes, advising them to "clean" their skin after it was “exposed to the air”.
Luo Changping, a Chinese journalist, posted a photograph of one runner sporting a military-style gas mask. “I’m not running the marathon. I’m going back to the World War,” the journalist wrote.
Not all made it to the finish line across town near Beijing’s Bird’s Nest stadium. “Some of the runners have given up in the 2014 Beijing Marathon due to serious air pollution,” the People’s Daily reported.
Ying Wei, a 23-year-old runner, admitted his “lung hurt quite badly during and after the race”.
Beijing authorities admitted their city’s air was "severely polluted” on Sunday while the US embassy, which also monitors smog levels, described the situation as "hazardous". Photo: AFP/GETTY
Runners had “made an outstanding contribution towards clearing Beijing’s haze” by breathing in the smog, joked Zhi Ri Gang, a user of Weibo, China’s Twitter-like microblog. “They should be known as human air purifiers!”
Li Keqiang, China’s prime minister, vowed to “declare war” on pollution in March but Beijing’s “airpocalypse” marathon capped a calamitous month for the city’s environmental authorities.
The race came 10 days after some of the world’s top footballers found themselves stranded in a Beijing hotel after another toxic smog enveloped the city.
Brazilian stars including Neymar, David Luiz and Kaká, the former World Player of the Year, were confined to their five-star hotel after another bout of severe pollution blanketed Beijing on the eve of their match against Argentina.
Being in China’s capital was like “standing next to a bonfire,” Robinho, the former Manchester City striker, told Brazilian reporters.