A man who completed the race while smoking cigarettes displayed “uncivilized behavior,” race organizers have said
A 52-year-old athlete, identified in media reports as ‘Uncle Chen’, who chain-smoked his way through an entire marathon in China has been retroactively disqualified after race organizers determined his actions breached rules governing “uncivilized behavior.”
The cigarette enthusiast completed the Xiamen marathon on January 7 in a very respectable timeframe – three hours and 33 minutes.
His feat was made all the more remarkable after video footage from the race showed Chen puffing on cigarettes as he navigated the 26.2 mile course en route to place 574th out of more than 1,500 competitors.
However, the images – which quickly went viral online – appear to have led to Chen’s downfall and subsequent disqualification last week. It was determined by race organizers that his actions during the event violated rules governing “uncivilized behavior,” which prohibits runners from an array of activities – from defecating on the track to trampling flower beds.
Chinese marathon runner disqualified for smoking on track.
52-year-old Uncle Chen, known as the 'Smoking Brother,' was ruled out from the Xiamen Marathon despite finishing in 3h 33m on January 7, 2024. His habit of smoking while running has been a topic of discussion since 2018. pic.twitter.com/HoahC5d7A9
— BoreCure (@CureBore) January 19, 2024