Yu Yonghe wins second place in the elderly group in a marathon held in Haikou, capital of South China's Hainan province, on Jan 15, 2015. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Yu Yonghe, 70, has run through nearly the whole country over the past eight years, and he has completed 20-plus full marathons, feats that have won him great support from young runners, according to Changchun Daily.

Yu, a retired electrician in Changchun, capital city of Northeast China's Jilin province, started training for long-distance running daily after retirement in 2009, it said.

He's famous among local marathon enthusiasts and has attracted lots of followers.