Imagine Running A Marathon In Heavy Smog

Beijing – CLIMATE – Imagine running a full marathon in smog so heavy it was hard to see? That was the added challenge to runners in the 2014 Beijing Marathon. Heavy smog, that shrouded the city had many runners wearing masks as they attempted to keep the pollution out of their lungs.

Despite heavy pollution blanketing Beijing on Sunday, the international marathon went ahead, with face masks and sponges among the equipment used by competitors to battle the smog.

The 34th Beijing International Marathon began at Tiananmen Square with many of the tens of thousands of participants wearing face masks. The 26-mile course ended at the Chinese capital’s Olympic Park, on a day when buildings across the city disappeared into the gray-tinged smog.

Video by wochit