Chinese fitness influencer apologises after being caught riding bicycle during Berlin Marathon
The influencer, known online as Abeeeer, initially celebrated a personal best record before photos emerged showing her riding pillion on a bicycle near the 38km mark.
Chinese fitness influencer Abeeeer, also known as Sun Yuanyuan, has apologized after being caught cheating during the Berlin Marathon. The influencer, with over 520,000 followers on the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu, finished the race in 4 hours, 53 minutes, and 46 seconds on September 27. She initially celebrated her personal best but faced scrutiny when photos emerged on October 1 showing her riding pillion on a bicycle around the 38km mark of the 42.195km race.
The Official Marathon Time Integrity Unit (OMTIU), an online watchdog scrutinizing suspicious race results, posted these images and highlighted her unique pace during the earlier stages, which suddenly sped up for the final 5km. Abeeeer acknowledged riding a bicycle during the marathon, violating race rules, and expressed deep guilt for her dishonest act, stating it showed disrespect for the competition's fairness and spirit.
Running brand Brooks China, which collaborated with Abeeeer before the race, terminated its partnership with her, expressing a vow to strengthen future collaborator assessments. While some defended her apology, others criticized her for only apologizing after being caught, and questioned the authenticity of her social media engagement.
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