Chinese Man Disqualified From Marathon For Chain-Smoking Cigarettes During The Race

A Chinese marathon runner nicknamed the “Smoking Brother” completed a 26-mile race in about three and a half hours only to be disqualified for chain-smoking the entire way.

What Happened: According to a DailyMail report, a 52-year-old Chinese man named “Uncle Chen” completed the 26.2-mile Xiamen Marathon in three hours and 33 minutes on Jan. 7.

Despite finishing 574th out of more than 1,500 competitors, Chen was disqualified for “smoking on the track.”

The Xiamen Marathon committee reportedly issued a statement regarding the disqualification, pointing to a race rule that states, “Uncivilized behavior 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.”

Photos and videos of the runner went viral online, but the feat was nothing new for the marathon runner. Two years ago, Chen finished the same race five minutes faster while smoking along the way. He also garnered attention for chain-smoking during marathons in 2018 and 2019.

The report indicates authorities in China banned smoking during marathons two years ago, but it’s not clear if the initiative was in response to Chen’s actions.

Reactions to the viral footage of the runner are wide-ranging. One X user called the accomplishment “downright insane,” several social media users praised the marathon runner as a “legend” and others complained that the smoke could negatively impact other runners and even be considered a form of doping.

The U.S. government banned cigarette advertising in the ’70s, so this is about as good as it gets for big tobacco. According to Statista, cigarette sales have been in a downtrend for the last 40 years.

Companies like Philip Morris International Inc (NYSE:PM) and British American Tobacco PLC (NYSE:BTI) have invested heavily in vaping and other alternative products in recent years to help push back against declining cigarette demand.

Read Next: Tobacco Use Falls To 1 In 5 Adults Globally: Why WHO Says ‘There Is No Time For Complacency’

This illustration was generated using artificial intelligence via MidJourney.