Chinese marathon runner nicknamed the Smoking Brother is disqualified
- Uncle Chen managed to finish the Xiamen Marathon on January 7 this yr
- The 52-year-old runner was disqualified for ‘smoking on the monitor’
A Chinese marathon runner who chain-smoked his complete means by a 26.2 miles race has been disqualified, regardless of reaching a aggressive time.
Uncle Chen, nicknamed the ‘Smoking Brother’, managed to finish the Xiamen Marathon in three hours and 33 minutes on January 7 this yr.
But regardless of crossing the end line solely 5 minutes slower than his 3:28 end two years in the past, the 52-year-old was disqualified for ‘smoking on the monitor’. He positioned 574th out of greater than 1,500 runners.
Photos of the athlete smoking throughout the race rapidly circulated on-line, with consideration drawn to an ‘initiative’ issued by authorities which explicitly banned smoking in marathons in China two years in the past.
Uncle Chen may very well be seen within the photos puffing on a cigarette while different runners path behind him. No consideration seems to be particularly drawn to Chen throughout the race.
Uncle Chen, nicknamed the ‘Smoking Brother’, managed to finish the Xiamen Marathon in three hours and 33 minutes on January 7 this yr
But regardless of crossing the end line solely 5 minutes slower than his 3:28 end two years in the past, the 52-year-old was disqualified for ‘smoking on the monitor’
Chen working the Xin’anjiang Marathon in Jiande, China, whereas chain-smoking a packet of cigarettes in 2022
The Xiamen Marathon committee later issued a press release saying Chen’s disqualification.
The determination was based mostly on a violation of Article 2.12 within the Xiamen Marathon guidelines and rules, they mentioned, which states: ‘Uncivilized behaviour from runners reminiscent of open defecation, smoking, or trampling on flower beds or inexperienced areas that have an effect on the race and the security of different runners will end in disqualification.’
The Chinese Athletics Association (C.A.A.) carried out the proposal final yr in an effort to advertise wholesome participation and curb smoking throughout road-running occasions.
This shouldn’t be the primary time Uncle Chen’s unconventional habits have drawn consideration, with photographs of him smoking while working first surfacing in 2018 on the Guangzhou Marathon.
Chen accomplished the marathon in three hours and 36 minutes.
Uncle Chen will be seen in photos puffing on a cigarette while different runners run beside him
Reactions to Chen’s smoking behavior have been combined, with some social media customers labelling him a ‘legend’
A yr later, he was again with a lot of the identical on the Xiamen Marathon in 2019, the place he completed along with his greatest time of three hours and 32 minutes.
According to Canadian Running, Chen serves because 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 behavior have been combined, with some social media customers labelling him a ‘legend’.
Others in the meantime, have been much less impressed, suggesting his behavior is thoughtless to fellow runners and that it may very well be a type of doping.
