- Uncle Chen managed to complete the Xiamen Marathon on January 7 this year
- The 52-year-old runner was disqualified for ‘smoking on the track’
A Chinese marathon runner who chain-smoked during a 42.2-mile race has been disqualified despite achieving a competitive time.
Uncle Chen, nicknamed the ‘Smoking Brother’, managed to complete the Xiamen Marathon in three hours and 33 minutes on January 7 this year.
But despite crossing the finish line just five minutes slower than his 3:28 finish two years ago, the 52-year-old was disqualified for ‘smoking on track’. He came 574th out of more than 1,500 runners.
Photos of the athlete smoking during the race quickly circulated online, drawing attention to an “initiative” by authorities that explicitly banned smoking at marathons in China two years ago.
The footage showed Uncle Chen puffing on a cigarette as other runners followed behind him. No specific attention appears to have been drawn to Chen during the race.
Uncle Chen, nicknamed the ‘Smoking Brother’, managed to complete the Xiamen Marathon in three hours and 33 minutes on January 7 this year
But despite crossing the finish line just five minutes slower than his 3:28 finish two years ago, the 52-year-old was disqualified for ‘smoking on track’.
Chen running the Xin’anjiang Marathon in Jiande, China, chain-smoking a pack of cigarettes in 2022
The Xiamen Marathon Committee later issued a statement announcing Chen’s disqualification.
The decision was based on a violation of Article 2.12 in the Xiamen Marathon Rules and Regulations, they said, which states: ‘Uncivilized behavior by runners, such as openly defecating, smoking or trampling on flower beds or green spaces that disrupts the race and safety of other runners will result in disqualification.’
The Chinese Athletics Association (CAA) implemented the proposal last year in an effort to promote healthy participation and curb smoking during running events.
This isn’t the first time Uncle Chen’s unconventional habits have attracted attention, with photos of him smoking while running first surfacing in 2018 during the Guangzhou Marathon.
Chen completed the marathon in three hours and 36 minutes.
Footage shows Uncle Chen puffing on a cigarette as other runners run alongside him
Reactions to Chen’s smoking habit have been mixed, with some social media users labeling him a ‘legend’
A year later he was back with much of the same at the 2019 Xiamen Marathon, where he finished with his best time of 3 hours and 32 minutes.
According to Canadian runningChen is a co-founder of the Zhejiang Xianju Road Running Association and the Zhejiang Provincial Marathon in his hometown Taizhou City.
Reactions to Chen’s smoking habit have been mixed, with some social media users labeling him a “legend.”
Others are now less impressed, suggesting his habit is inconsiderate to fellow runners and could be a form of doping.