Yi Hui, a Chinese ultra-marathon runner, challenges himself by running on a treadmill for 12 hours in Chengdu, Sichuan province on June 5, 2016, trying to break the Guinness World Record for distance run on a treadmill over 12 hours. [Photo/Xinhua]

A Chinese ultra-marathon runner has finished his 12-hour "journey" on the treadmill - only a few steps shy of a world record.

Yi Hui, a professional fitness club coach, ran a staggering 126.2 kilometers on the treadmill from 9am to 9pm in Chengdu, Sichuan province, on Sunday. It was only 6.7 kilometers shorter than the Guinness World Record for distance run on a treadmill over 12 hours, held by a British man since February.

More than a thousand runners joined Yi to run on the treadmills, expecting to witness a record-breaking feat.

While he failed to live up to those expectations, Yi's performance was amazing enough to earn him the title of top ultra-runner in Asia. The Chengdu runner firmly believes he will eventually smash the world record.

"Apart from challenging myself, I really hope my experience could inspire more people to get involved in running," he said.

Yi has long been preparing for the world record attempt, following a strict exercise schedule. In August, he managed to set a separate record by trail running around Chengdu’s Jincheng Lake 77 times in 23 hours and 40 minutes.