• A 52-year-old Chinese marathon runner was disqualified for chain-smoking during the race.

• The Chinese Athletics Association implemented a ban on smoking during marathons last year.

• “Uncle Chen” has puffed cigarettes during past marathons, claiming it helps him relieve fatigue.

A Chinese man has been disqualified from a marathon after he chain-smoked his way through the entire 26-mile race, according to MailOnline.

The news outlet said the man, known as “Uncle Chen,” completed the Xiamen Marathon in three hours and 33 minutes, but was disqualified for violating the race’s rules against smoking on the course.

MailOnline reported that the runner fell foul of a new rule against uncivilized behavior, which prohibits “open defecation, smoking, or trampling on flower beds or green spaces.”

The Chinese Athletics Association implemented the regulation last year to encourage healthier participation in the race, according to MailOnline.

“Uncle Chen,” now 52, gained internet fame two years ago after photos and videos showed him running a race with a cigarette in his mouth.

In 2022, he placed 574th out of more than 1,500 runners in the Xinanjiang Marathon.

He finished that race in three hours and 28 minutes, Business Insider reported, five minutes faster than his most recent attempt.

According to Sky News, Chen has previously run other marathons while puffing on a cigarette. The news outlet said that he smoked throughout the 2018 Guangzhou Marathon and 2019 Xiamen Marathon.

Chinese news site Sohu reported that Chen has previously said that cigarettes help him with fatigue, and he runs with one in his mouth so that he can easily inhale and keep going.

Read the original article on Business Insider