30,000 runners brave smog in Beijing Marathon

The Beijing Marathon was held over the weekend despite smog reaching hazardous levels during the event. The city is known to have problems with air pollutions, but Sunday’s smog was particularly bad with levels reaching 16 times the recommended maximum considered to be healthy.

Many runners were seen wearing masks to filter the air they were breathing and many runners did not finish the race because of the air quality. One British runner, Chas Pope, who lives in Beijing told BBC that he quit after 10K, claiming  he was running to stay healthy but that the race was likely an unhealthy activity. He was also wearing a mask to combat the smog.

Mask before and after running 10K of #BeijingMarathon in hazardous air – glad not in lungs @totobobo #Airpocalypse pic.twitter.com/XVAMCJMdXF

— Chas Pope (@china_chas) October 19, 2014

The levels of smog are worse during the fall and winter months when many residents and business burn coal to heat their homes and buildings. Some still burn wood for heating. The city is also surrounded by mountains, meaning the smog doesn’t clear until a cold front moves in and displaces it.

The organizers did make an announcement warning competitors of the unusually high levels of smog on Sunday morning but said postponing the race was not an option because of the amount of planning that went into it and the number of international runners who had travelled to the city to compete.

AQI of over 400 in Beijing for today’s marathon. Should not have gone ahead. #Airpocalypse @iaaforg pic.twitter.com/bMyD0cboph — Chas Pope (@china_chas) October 19, 2014

Pope also pointed out that currently at International Association of Athletics Federations, the governing body over international road running, does not currently set limits on air quality for races, something which is worth considering given the problem posed by running events in conditions where pollutions levels are dangerously high.

The air quality in the city of over 11 million has caused problems with sporting events in the past, notably the 2008 Olympic Games when the marathon was held during the hottest point of the day under thick smog. The 2015 world championships are also scheduled to be held there. Similar health issues have also been raised about the Hong Kong Marathon.