3 May

Should Smoking Runner Be Disqualified?

For many people merely working a marathon is hard enough. Nevertheless for some runners they like in order so as to add juggling or working in costume. Then there’s the particular person affectionately typically often known as the “Smoking Brother”, who you guessed it chain smokes all by way of the race.

Smoking runner disqualified — Image from Weibo

In 2022,a 50-year-old runner hailing from China has captured consideration worldwide for his present feat on the Xin’anjiang Marathon in Jiande.

Dubbed “Uncle Chen” by admirers, this seasoned runner completed the marathon in an spectacular three hours and 28 minutes – all whereas indulging in a chain-smoking session, reportedly consuming an entire pack of cigarettes alongside the course.

Whatever the distraction – or perhaps fueled by it – Uncle Chen secured the 574th place out of larger than 1,500 contributors, a testament to his excellent bodily prowess and dedication.

Shortly after the race (and principally as a result of viral pictures), Chen was the reality is disqualified from the race.

In response to a press launch issued on Weibo by the organizers of the Xiamen Marathon, it was confirmed {{that a}} participant had violated a specific provision outlined inside the race’s pointers and legal guidelines. This provision expressly forbids behaviors corresponding to open defecation, smoking, or damaging inexperienced areas, aiming to handle the integrity and decorum of the event.

In 2024, after a pair years off, he returned to the race and as quickly as as soon as extra lined up alongside together with his cigarettes.

This time spherical he was issued a whole ban from any event inside the subsequent two years.

smoking runner

This mixture of working and smoking simply isn’t new to Uncle Chen. Opinions from native Chinese language language media reveal that he first gained consideration in 2017 when he participated in a marathon event in Hangzhou. It was there that his distinctive working kind earned him the moniker “Smoking Brother” amongst his pals and followers alike.

His unconventional technique has not hindered his effectivity in earlier marathons each. In 2018, Uncle Chen completed the Guangzhou Marathon in three hours and 36 minutes, sustaining his smoking conduct all by way of the race. Equally, he showcased his endurance on the Xiamen Marathon in 2019, ending with a time of three hours and 32 minutes.

I can’t take into consideration being the person working near him and smelling it, nonetheless what do you assume?

Worthy of a ban?