Ahead of the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon on 19 November, we caught up with two marathon runners to ask how it has affected their routine. Tanvir Kazmi, who has been a runner for the past 13 years said that while the smog must have had adverse effects on his body, it does not stop him from doing the one thing he is passionate about — running.
Chanpreet Singh, another marathon runner, agreed with Kazmi and said that he would not want to live his life “crawling”.
While both agreed that pollution has reached alarming levels, Singh added that not much has been done to curb it. Targeting activities like running is like closing your eyes to the bigger problem, he said.
Earlier this week, the Indian Medical Association had also called for the cancellation of the Airtel Marathon. When this video was shot, the air quality monitor showed a pm 2.5 level of 500. The permissible limit is 60.
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Video Editor: Purnendu Pritam
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