Uncle Chen: The Chain-Smoking Marathon Runner Who Defies All Logic

Courtesy / Weibo

Most marathon runners are obsessed with nutrition, hydration, and lung capacity—but not Uncle Chen. Instead of energy gels and electrolyte drinks, his race-day fuel of choice is a pack of cigarettes.

Yes, you read that right. Uncle Chen, a 50-year-old runner from China, chain-smoked his way through the entire Xin'anjiang Marathon near Shanghai and still finished in a ridiculously fast 3 hours and 28 minutes.

To put that into perspective, that's faster than most non-smoking runners could ever hope to run a marathon. And it’s not even the first time he’s done it.

Running on Nicotine: How Uncle Chen Became a Viral Sensation

Uncle Chen isn’t new to the scene. He’s been pulling off this bizarre running habit for years, first gaining attention in 2017, when race spectators saw him puffing away mid-marathon and dubbed him “Smoking Brother.”

Since then, he’s become something of an underground legend, regularly chain-smoking his way through races while still posting impressive times.

• 2018 Guangzhou Marathon: 3 hours, 36 minutes

• 2019 Xiamen Marathon: 3 hours, 32 minutes

• 2022 Xin'anjiang Marathon: 3 hours, 28 minutes

It seems like the more he smokes, the faster he gets.

The Science (or Lack Thereof) Behind His Madness

For decades, we’ve been told that smoking is terrible for lung capacity, endurance, and overall health—and, well, it is. Smoking damages the lungs, decreases oxygen intake, and increases the risk of heart disease.

So how in the world is Uncle Chen chain-smoking his way to marathon PRs?

Some theories:

✔ He’s just a genetic freak. Some people have insane natural endurance, and maybe he’s one of them.✔ Nicotine is a stimulant. While long-term smoking is terrible for endurance, nicotine itself can act as a performance enhancer by increasing focus and reducing fatigue.✔ Mental toughness. Running 26.2 miles is brutal, and maybe smoking is just part of his personal coping strategy.

But the truth? No one really knows how he pulls this off. He defies every known principle of athletic performance.

The Internet Reacts: Love, Laughter, and Secondhand Smoke Concerns

When pictures of Uncle Chen chain-smoking mid-race surfaced online, they quickly went viral. Social media exploded with a mix of admiration, disbelief, and concern for the people running next to him.

One Weibo user joked,"He’s got the best lung capacity of any smoker on Earth."

Another commented,"Whoever ran next to him deserves a medal for secondhand smoke endurance."

Of course, not everyone is thrilled about his habit. Some runners have raised concerns about breathing in his secondhand smoke during races, which, let’s be honest, would be incredibly annoying if you’re just trying to hit your personal best.

Others even asked if his smoking habit could be considered a form of doping—though unless Marlboro suddenly becomes an official race sponsor, that seems unlikely.

Does He Ever Smoke Outside of Running?

Oddly enough, local media reports claim that Uncle Chen only smokes when he runs.

If true, that raises even more questions:

• Why only during races?

• Does he light up before his training runs, too?

• Is this some kind of next-level psychological trick?

We might never know. Uncle Chen isn’t one for interviews—he just runs, smokes, and finishes marathons faster than most people ever will.

What’s Next for Uncle Chen?

Now that his latest marathon has made global headlines, people are wondering what his next move is. Will he keep getting faster? Will he ever attempt a sub-3-hour marathon with a cigarette in hand? Will a tobacco company try to sponsor him?

One thing’s for sure—if he signs up for your next marathon, make sure you’re not running directly behind him.

Final Thoughts: A Legend in His Own Right

Whether you think Uncle Chen is an endurance freak of nature or a walking health hazard, one thing is undeniable: he’s one of the most fascinating runners in the world right now.

In a sport where people obsess over VO2 max, lactate threshold, and the latest running shoes, he’s proving that sometimes, the best way to win a race is to just do things your own way.

And for him? That way just happens to include a cigarette or ten.