Former NBA player Yao Ming has run alongside popular Chinese marathoner Chen Penbin in Guangzhou on Thursday to help kick off the athlete's new ultra-marathon challenge, China Sports News reported.
The 37-year-old athlete, who was born in southern Zhejiang Province, aims to run 100 marathons in 100 consecutive days.
Yao Ming, one of the ambassadors for Beijing's 2022 Winter Olympics bid, likened Chen to Forrest Gump, and said the former fisherman is a giant in his own right.
"'Ultra' does not just mean long distance, but also persistence. During the 100 marathons, he will spend a lot of time running alone. He reminded me of Forrest Gump," Yao said.
After finishing the first 42.195-kilometer marathon in Guangzhou, Chen will run across the municipalities and provinces of Dongguan, Fujian, Zhejiang, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Shandong, Hebei and Tianjin until he reaches his final destination in Beijing on July 10. Chen plans to run a total of 4,219 kilometers.
Chen will smash the current Guinness World Record of running 54 consecutive marathons if he completes the challenge, China Central Television reported.
Chen said that he is confident that he can finish the challenge no matter how long the run is.
During an endurance race six years ago, Chen had a realization that competitions are not just about money. Seeing China's flag flying from his hotel after the race touched him a lot and gave him an idea to join marathon races in all seven continents.
Chen's dream turned into reality last year. He became the first person to compete in ultra-marathons in all continents after winning a 100-kilometer marathon in Antarctica.