Level of dangerous pollutants casts pall over marathon

Runners in the Beijing Marathon concentrated intently on the sound of the starting pistol on Sunday, as heavy smog blurred their vision, casting a pall over the athletic event.

The smog that shrouded the capital, as well as surrounding areas in Hebei province, is expected to disperse beginning Monday night as a north wind blows away the pollutants, the National Meteorological Center said on Sunday.

The air pollution worsened from Friday night and reached its highest level on Sunday, when the annual Beijing Marathon was run. The smog was expected to thicken at night, reducing visibility to 2 kilometers in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei province, based on an alert from the regional meteorological forecast and warning center serving the three areas.