Chinese marathoner Uncle Chen, 52, finished the 2024 Xiamen Marathon earlier this month in a very respectable three hours and 33 minutes. Unfortunately though, Chen was ultimately disqualified for chain-smoking the entire race. Uncle Chen has been doing this for years (video above) but the practice is no longer permitted.
The organizing committee referred to the marathon rule book, specifically Article 2.12 that 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."
From RunningMagazine.ca:
Uncle Chen, known for combining his smoking habit with running, has been engaging in this unconventional practice for years. Photos of him smoking while running first surfaced at the 2018 Guangzhou Marathon and the Xiamen Marathon in 2019, where he finished in 3:36 and 3:32, respectively. Notably, Uncle Chen is also an ultramarathoner, having completed events ranging from 50 km to 12 hours.
(Thanks, Bob Pescovitz!)
