CRI听力:Ultra-marathon Runner Chen Penbin

Zhejiang Native Chen Penbin is among less than 100 athletes worldwide who have completed ultra-marathons on all seven continents. After last November's competition in the Antarctic, Chen became the only athlete to have run more than 100 kilometers in each of these seven ultra-marathons.

This 36-year-old, who only has a primary school education, is the protagonist in the real-life story of a transformation from fisherman to marathon athlete extraordinaire.

Yao Yongmei brings us his story.

Ultra-marathon Runner Chen Penbin 

Chen Penbin was born in a fishing village on an island in East China's Zhejiang Province.

The villagers' only connection with the outside world was the town on the opposite bank. Even though the distance between the town and the island was quite short, the ferry between the two banks only went across to the town once a day.

For generations, fishing was the only choice for the villagers there, and the unique geographic conditions bound the fishermen firmly to their boats.

Like many in his village, Chen Penbin originally made his living fishing, and time spent doing this taught him how to cope with difficult challenges.

"I took to sea fishing at the age of 13, right after I graduated from primary school. An offshore trip usually takes seven to 12 days to complete, and the fishermen on the boats often get little sleep. There are four rounds of tides a day, and the fishermen have to ceaselessly pull and spread the nets to catch fish. I worked very hard and was able to grab the ship anchor, which weighed 100 kilograms, all by myself at the age of 14. "

In 2001, Chen discovered he possessed stamina way above most people's after he won a 4-and-a-half kilometer race in his home town while wearing heavy weights. The win led to an invitation for a special marathon event in Wenzhou city that year, an annual 42-kilometer race that requires participants to wear leather shoes. Chen finished the race in three hours and nine minutes. That was Chen's first marathon.

It was in 2009 when Chen was taking part in a 106-kilometer race in the French Alps that he saw the Chinese national flag flying high in the sky as part of the event.

"I'm confident in my endurance and muscle strength and know that I'm a good runner. When I saw the flag waving in a town outside my own country, it gave me a feeling of pride. It was then the thought came to me to take part in all the top ultra-marathon events on all seven continents."

Chen started his dream with a third-place finish in his homeland in June 2010, when he took part in the Gobi March in Xinjiang, a 250-kilometer ultra-marathon.

In 2011, he went to North Africa to compete in the Marathon of the Sand, a 251-kilometer race in the Sahara Desert, often dubbed the "Hell Marathon" because of the severe dryness and heat.

An injury to his right knee prevented Chen from going any further that year, but in 2012, when he recovered, he astonished everyone by taking part in three different ultra-marathons in less than a month between September 15 and October 7.

Chen even grabbed a second-place finish that year in the 254-kilometer Jungle Marathon in the Amazon jungle in Brazil, another major achievement on his grand slam tour.

"The Jungle Marathon, which takes the runners through steep ascents and village trails, muddy swamps and sodden banks along the Amazon River, is held in October each year. And each year, around 60 percent of participants are forced to pull out of the race because of injury. The weather is hot and humid, and we have to wade in water and swamps for most of the distance. As well as the suffocating heat and arduous terrain, runners also have to be prepared for the possibility that they will come up against wild animals."

Of all the ultra-marathons Chen has run, however, he says the most memorable was the recently completed Antarctic Ice Marathon, a 100-kilometer race at the foot of Antarctica's Ellsworth Mountains.

At the foot of these mountains, in toe-numbing temperatures as cold as -30 C and facing violent gusts of wind that lacerated his face at speeds of up to 117 kilometers an hour, the 36-year-old had just one thought. Keep going.

"It's so cold that my sweat turned into ice immediately. I had to change my running posture to put my weight on my heels rather than the balls of my feet to keep from stumbling over. Blinded by a sudden snowstorm, I was unable to make out the road signs and almost lost my way. It' s a war against nature. "

When he finally crossed the finishing line, Chen became the first Chinese person to win the 100-kilometer Antarctic Ice Marathon race.

"I've created a record: I have become the first Chinese person to finish an ultramarathon on all of the world's seven continents. As for the future, I hope I'll be able to compete until I'm 60, although at that age I won't be competitive against younger racers. But I hope I can keep running. To me, running is not about winning medals, it's a way of life."