A Chinese fitness influencer has apologised after being caught riding on the back of a bicycle during the Berlin Marathon, where she had earlier claimed a personal best. The influencer, known online as Abeeeer, completed the September 27 race in 4 hours, 53 minutes and 46 seconds. She later came under scrutiny after photographs appeared to show her riding a bicycle during the final part of the marathon.
According to CBC News, the incident came to light after a fellow runner photographed her on the bicycle and shared the image with the Official Marathon Time Integrity Unit, an online group that examines suspicious marathon performances.
Sudden Speed Increase Raised Questions
The influencer’s race data also raised concerns. Her fastest five-kilometre stretch came between the 35-kilometre and 40-kilometre marks, the same section where she was reportedly seen on a bicycle.
Abeeeer, who has more than 500,000 followers on Chinese social media platform RedNote, had initially celebrated the result online as a personal achievement.
She later admitted that she had taken a bicycle ride during the race because she was feeling unwell. However, she acknowledged that being unwell did not justify breaking the rules.
Photo Credit: https://x.com/Byron_Wan
In her apology, she said her actions were dishonest and went against the spirit of fair competition. She also admitted that she had deliberately left out details of the bicycle ride when sharing her marathon experience online.
CBC News reported that marathon officials did not comment directly on the influencer’s case but said organisers can take further action when fraud is identified.
Sponsor Ends Partnership
The controversy has also cost the influencer a sponsorship deal.
Sportswear company Brooks China confirmed that it had ended its relationship with her after reviewing the incident. The company also acknowledged that it had failed to properly verify her race performance and said it would strengthen its checks for future partnerships.
CBC News noted that the incident is part of a wider history of marathon cheating, where some runners have been caught using shortcuts or other methods to record faster times.
The case has also reignited debate over the pressure on social media influencers to post impressive sporting achievements, particularly when their results are tied to sponsorships and online popularity.
For Abeeeer, what began as a post celebrating a personal best has instead turned into a public controversy over honesty, sportsmanship and the growing scrutiny of influencer performances.