Chen Penbin in training. Photo: Courtesy of Chen Penbin

Chinese ultra marathon runner Chen Penbin, 35, has high goals for 2014.

Chen was born in a fishing village on an island in East China's Zhejiang Province. Like many in his village Chen originally made a living fishing, during which time he learned how to cope with difficult challenges.

Having completed six ultra marathons on various continents, Chen is now focused solely on achieving a "grand slam" - to finish the Antarctic Ice Marathon, a 100 kilometer race at the foot of Antarctica's Ellsworth Mountains and set to take place in November.

"Antarctica is the last stage of my seven-continent grand slam. I missed it last year because I was late signing up," Chen told the Global Times in a telephone interview.

"Although the entry fee costs about 100,000 yuan ($16,500), the event was still popular enough that it sold out quickly.

"I've never raced in such a low-temperature environment before, so I'm going to take a few days to train in Heilongjiang (Northeast China) so as to figure out what outfit works the best for me in the cold."

Chen will also take part in two other ultra marathons in Greece and the US before heading to the South Pole.

Beyond average



Chen discovered he possessed stamina beyond that of average people after he won a 4.5 kilometer race while wearing heavy weights in 2001 in his hometown in Yuhuan county, Zhejiang Province.

"The win brought me an invitation for a special marathon event in Wenzhou that year, an annual 42.195 kilometer race that requires you wear leather shoes.

 "I finished the race in three hours and nine minutes. It was my first marathon," Chen said.

"During my next two races I finished in the top three. Each event provided me with considerable prize money each year, but in 2003 the event stopped, leaving me in a difficult situation."

Chen applied for jobs in Zhejiang, but wasn't recruited until February 2004 when kitchen appliance maker Supor decided to hire him.

"My boss Su Xianze has been really supportive of my running campaign," Chen said.

"He's supported me for 10 years now … without him I'm just a fisherman. He told me to do what I love and create a world I would enjoy.

"He changed my life. A million thanks to him would not be enough."

Later races saw Chen wearing the Supor logo on his uniform as a way of expressing his gratitude to his boss.

Chen Penbin competes in the Jungle Marathon in 2012. Photo: Courtesy of Chen Penbin

The dream begins



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.

"When I saw the flag waving in a town outside my own country, it gave me a feeling of intimacy," Chen said. "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" due to the extreme dryness and heat.

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

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

"Most people tend to hesitate, but when something occurs to me I do it straight away," Chen said. "This is the only way to get a chance at success. When you encounter problems, you should figure out a way to deal with it rather than just think about the problem.

"I hope I'm able to compete until 60, although at that age I won't be competitive against younger racers.

"However, a runner at that age doesn't only represent himself or herself, but the whole nation."

Last year Chen also accomplished an achievement similar to his 2012 feat, finishing two ultra marathon races - the Javelina Jundred and Ozark Trail - in just nine days.

A little advice



Marathon fever swept China in 2013 with more than 30 events held. But Chen, who isn't a professional runner, was a little concerned about other participants' running posture.

"I've run for years. With the accumulation of experience and guidance from experts my running form has improved a lot in contrast to my earlier running years," Chen said.

"However, I noticed that most of the runners who took part in the marathon events last year were running with their toes splayed out."

Chen admitted that while it's difficult for people who have been running a certain way for years to break bad habits, he believes it would be better for these runners to change the way they run.

"Running with your toes splayed out leaves you prone to injury. What's more, most people cannot bear the muscle pain that comes from a heavy run, which may lead them to giving up early. So I recommend they get used to it by first walking daily," he said.

 "More and more people are enjoying the benefits of running in marathons. People are realizing that those who exercise every day are really different from those who don't. So in my opinion, there's bound to be more events held in China in the future."