30,000 take part in Beijing International Marathon despite choking haze

Over 30,000 runners take part in the 34th Beijing International Marathon which began at Tiananmen Square in Beijing despite heavy smog. Several thousands wore face masks while others swere spotted using gas masks to combat the choking Beijing haze which was deemed severely polluted and was equivalent to a PSI of 384, according to the real-time monitoring of Beijing's environmental center. It was the most serious level on China's air quality index, and came with a warning for children, the elderly and the sick to stay indoors, and for everyone to avoid outdoor activities.