- 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 his entire way through a 26.2 miles 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 only five minutes slower than his 3:28 finish two years ago, the 52-year-old was disqualified for ‘smoking on the track’. He placed 574th out of more than 1,500 runners.
Photos of the athlete smoking during the race quickly circulated online, with attention drawn to an ‘initiative’ issued by authorities which explicitly banned smoking in marathons in China two years ago.
Uncle Chen could be seen in the images puffing on a cigarette whilst other runners trail behind him. No attention appears to be specifically 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 only five minutes slower than his 3:28 finish two years ago, the 52-year-old was disqualified for ‘smoking on the track’
Chen running the Xin’anjiang Marathon in Jiande, China, while chain-smoking a packet 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 behaviour from runners such as open defecation, smoking, or trampling on flower beds or green spaces that affect the race and the safety of other runners will result in disqualification.’
The Chinese Athletics Association (C.A.A.) implemented the proposal last year in an effort to promote healthy participation and curb smoking during road-running events.
This is not the first time Uncle Chen’s unconventional habits have drawn attention, with photos of him smoking whilst running first surfacing in 2018 at the Guangzhou Marathon.
Chen completed the marathon in three hours and 36 minutes.
Uncle Chen can be seen in images puffing on a cigarette whilst other runners run beside him
Reactions to Chen’s smoking habit have been mixed, with some social media users labelling him a ‘legend’
A year later, he was back with much of the same at the Xiamen Marathon in 2019, where he finished with his best time of 3 hours and 32 minutes.
According to Canadian Running, Chen serves as the co-founder of the Zhejiang Xianju Road Running Association and the Zhejiang Provincial Marathon in his hometown of Taizhou City.
Reactions to Chen’s smoking habit have been mixed, with some social media users labelling him a ‘legend’.
Others meanwhile, have been less impressed, suggesting his habit is inconsiderate to fellow runners and that it could be a form of doping.