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Marathoners in Beijing go maskless, unfazed by smog

www.reuters.com Marathoners in Beijing go maskless, unfazed by smog

Runners undeterred by thick smog engulfing the Chinese capital ran the Beijing Marathon maskless on Sunday, many wearing shorts in one of the warmest Octobers on record.

Marathoners in Beijing go maskless, unfazed by smog
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  • Just an average day I guess? They might be used to it at this point but I'd be curious to see if cancer rates are rising in Beijing and if there is any data pointing towards smog as a direct cause

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    Despite a greyish brown smog settling, some 30,000 marathoners set off at 7:30 a.m. (2330 GMT) from Tiananmen Square on the route through four districts of the Chinese capital over 42.195 km (26.2 miles).

    In the Haidian district on Beijing's outskirts, the sky looked dreary, but hikers and visitors showed up at the Fragrant Hills Park where many go to enjoy autumn foliage, according to a Reuters witness.

    China's national forecaster advised the public to wear masks, warning on Sunday morning that air quality was reaching moderate or severe pollution.

    Smog and fog will blanket parts of China for the next few days, reducing visibility and affecting travel in northeastern, northern, central and some eastern provinces, the National Meteorological Center said on Sunday.

    Steel production hubs in Tangshan, Handan and other cities in the northern province of Hebei launched emergency responses on Friday after heavy air pollution forecasts.

    Parts of China, including in the north and northeast, have been experiencing temperatures 2 to 4 degrees Celsius (4-7 Fahrenheit) higher than normal the past 10 days.


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