France bans running further than 2K from home

As of noon on Tuesday March 17, France went into a 15-day lockdown, which restricts people to going out for essential work, to buy food and essentials, to attend medical appointments, for vital family reasons and for individual physical exercise. However, the exercise can only be done within a 2K radius of a person’s home. Cycling has been completely banned.

RELATED: Apartment running: how to keep fit in quarantine

The French Ministry of Sport clarified today, stating, “A 1K or 2K run maximum. It’s not about getting far away from your house. The rule is confinement for everyone. Remember that you should only be leaving for emergencies or for your health. A little jog is good for your sanity but not a 10K run.”

Although most are understanding of the restrictions, some French citizens are upset.

? Face à l'épidémie de COVID-19, la @FFCyclisme demande à tous les cyclistes de faire preuve de responsabilité en évitant toute pratique à l'extérieur durant cette période.

Un seul mot d'ordre : "Sauvez des vies ! Restez chez vous !"

Plus d'informations ⤵ pic.twitter.com/tj0l3WJn8n

— FFC (@FFCyclisme) March 19, 2020

“This measure is really pure stupidity,” says Guillaume Multrier. “What are we risking riding solo? We’re farther from others than in all the other authorized activities.”

#Coronavirus : près de Toulouse, il court un marathon sur son balcon https://t.co/J7S1ViB4aP pic.twitter.com/gzrDKFkleV

— France Bleu Occitanie (@bleuoccitanie) March 19, 2020

However, while some are upset, others are making the best of the situation. The Huffington Post reports that Elisha Nochomovitz spent six hours and 48 minutes running 42.2K around the seven-metre balcony of his apartment in Toulouse on Tuesday.

RELATED: Chinese man runs 50K–in his apartment