A Chinese marathon runner has gone viral after chain-smoking his way through a race - and still finishing in less and three and half hours.
Known as 'Uncle Chen', he finished the Xinanjiang marathon in a time of three hours and 23 minutes, and placed 574th out of more than 1,500 participants.
After photos of him were shared on website Weibo, race officials released his race certificate and confirmed his finishing time.
The 50-year-old has become renowned for the audacious act, having done so at the 2018 Guangzhou Marathon and 2019 Xiamen Marathon.
He also reportedly only smokes when he runs, with admirers and supporters taking to social media to express their admiration and awe at the feat.
Despite his recurring act, event organisers have not prohibited Chen or any other marathon runner from smoking cigarettes while they compete.
