In brief
Chinese fitness influencer Sun Yuanyuan—known as Abeeeer—was dropped by sponsor Brooks after a photo surfaced of her cycling during the Berlin Marathon. An Instagram account exposing race‑time fraud posted the image, leading to her finish time being annulled and the sponsorship terminated. Sun quickly issued a public apology, admitting she had broken the race rules. The incident underscores a rising trend of GPS‑based cheating among fitness influencers, prompting organisations like the Official Marathon Time Integrity Unit to step up monitoring.\nThe case highlights the tension between social media celebrity culture and the integrity required in competitive running.
Chinese fitness influencer Sun Yuanyuan—better known as Abeeeer on Chinese social media—was dropped by sponsor Brooks after a photo surfaced showing her riding a bicycle during the Berlin Marathon.
The German race, held at the end of September, saw Sun claim a personal best, only for an Instagram account dedicated to exposing inaccurate race times to post a picture of her cycling between the 35‑ and 40‑kilometre markers.
In response, Brooks China terminated its sponsorship and the marathon organisers disqualified her finish time, citing a breach of the event’s rules and the sport’s integrity.
Within hours, Sun posted an apology on Rednote, admitting she had “broken the rules” and that her lapse had been an attempt at cheating, adding that she felt “deeply guilty”.
The incident highlights a growing trend of GPS‑based fabrication and selective Strava data sharing among fitness influencers, a trend that the Official Marathon Time Integrity Unit (OMTIU) seeks to combat to preserve fair competition.
