Chinese Man runs Marathon for 42 Kilometers despite chain smoking

A marathon runner who made the unconventional choice to chain smoke throughout his races has gained cult status in the running community.

After finishing the 42 km Xinanjiang Marathon in Jiande, China, while smoking cigarettes the entire time, the Chinese runner known as "Uncle Chen '' gained international attention.

A Chinese social media app posted pictures of the 50-year-old Guangzhou resident, and the event's organizers later released a copy of his finishing certificate. With a remarkable time of 3:28:45, Chen finished 574th overall out of almost 1,500 competitors.

This isn't the first time he's decided to light up while running, claims Canadian Running Magazine.

In 2018, he ran the Guangzhou Marathon in 3 hours and 36 minutes, and in 2019, he ran the Xiamen Marathon in 3 hours and 32 minutes.

He adopted the moniker "Smoking Brother" following an event in Hangzhou in 2017 and it appears that his smoking antics have even earned him the moniker "Smoking Brother" in running circles.

Additionally, there is some evidence online that he also competes in ultra marathons, one of which is 50 km long and the other is 12 hours long.

Chen has received a variety of responses; some have expressed admiration for the runner, while others have understandably questioned his tactics.

One Instagram user gave the Foo Fighters classic, "My Hero," their own unique spin by writing: "My hero is gone. Observe him as he puffs."

Another person added, "Just picture him being stuck behind the entire race."

A third joked, "So this is what peak performance looks like."

When someone smokes continuously (chain smoking), they immediately light and smoke another cigarette after extinguishing the previous one.

There are currently no regulations that forbid marathon competitors from smoking while they compete. However, we don't encourage smoking and endorse and promote the Statutory Warning that smoking is injurious to health and one should always avoid it.