DELHI, Nov 19 (TNS): Despite dire health warnings from Doctors and repeated pleads for the postponement of conducting a marathon in heavily polluted city, tens of thousands of runners on Sunday choked through smog hit Indian capital which according to WHO is hosting eight times higher most harmful pollutants in its air these days.
More than 30,000 people, some sporting pollution masks, braved a hazy morning to run through the Indian capital despite almost two weeks of hazardous smog that forced schools shut for several days.
The US embassy website Sunday showed levels of the smallest and most harmful airborne pollutants hovered near 200, eight times the World Health Organization’s safe maximum for the duration of the 13.1 mile (21 km) race.
Some athletes complained of side effects from the polluted conditions which worsened as amateur runners the bulk of Sunday’s competitors huffed and puffed around Delhi’s smoggy streets later in the morning.
“My eyes are burning, my throat is dry. I have a running nose,” said running enthusiast Rohit Mohan, a 30-year-old from the southern city of Bangalore who was among the minority donning a mask. “It’s been terrible since I landed here yesterday.”
Others expressed frustration at being forced to take precautions unnecessary elsewhere, like wearing masks that filter pollutants but also restrict breathing.
“It’s obviously much harder to breathe, so you’re not doing your best here, and you can’t take it off,” said Abhay Sen, 30. “Makes you think whether you want to do this again or not.”
Birhanu Legese of Ethiopia won the men’s race while Almaz Ayana of same country won the women’s event.
