Chinese runner dropped by sponsor after riding bike during marathon
Chinese fitness influencer Sun Yuanyuan, known as Abeeeer online, has been dropped by her sponsor Brooks after admitting she rode a bicycle during the Berlin Marathon in September. The 520,000-follower influencer claimed a personal best in the race but was exposed by an Instagram account dedicated to monitoring fraudulent race times, which published a photograph appearing to show her on a bike between the 35km and 40km marks. This case highlights a growing problem of fitness influencers making false or misleading claims about their athletic achievements.
An account called the Official Marathon Time Integrity Unit (OMTIU) posted evidence including split times showing unusually fast speeds during the section where Sun allegedly rode the bike. Sun apologised on Chinese social media platform Rednote, admitting she had "deliberately concealed" her actions and stating that her attempt to take a shortcut was "disrespectful to the fairness of the competition". Brooks terminated its sponsorship deal, stating that "running should be grounded in integrity, fairness, and respect for competition", and the Berlin Marathon organisers have disqualified her finish time.
- Chinese influencer caught cycling during Berlin Marathon despite claiming personal best
- Sponsor Brooks dropped her; finish time disqualified by organisers
- OMTIU account exposes trend of false marathon claims by fitness personalities
New here? Start with this
Sun Yuanyuan, a Chinese fitness influencer known online as Abeeeer, competed in the Berlin Marathon in September and claimed to have achieved a personal best. However, evidence has emerged indicating that she rode a bicycle during at least part of the race, which violates marathon rules.
An Instagram account that monitors marathon races for fraudulent times published photographic evidence and timing data suggesting Sun had used a bike between the 35km and 40km marks. This case highlights a growing problem of fitness influencers making false or misleading claims about their athletic achievements on social media to attract sponsorships and maintain large followings.
Running competitions depend on all participants following the same rules fairly. When influencers with significant online followings make fraudulent claims about their athletic achievements, questions arise about the authenticity of the fitness content they share and their credibility with followers and sponsors.