The marathon season is filled with excitement and drama.
From elite athletes pushing their limits to the camaraderie among runners helping each other reach the finish line, the marathon world is captivating. However, sometimes dreams are shattered.
At the recent Berlin Marathon, a Chinese fitness influencer faced backlash after being photographed hitching a ride on a bike during the race. The incident led to her sponsor dropping her and issuing an apology.
The images of the influencer, taken during the September 27 race, were shared by the Official Marathon Time Integrity Unit (OMTIU) on Instagram. They highlighted discrepancies in her performance, particularly around the 35- to 40-kilometre marks where she was seen on the bike.
A collage of Instagram stories posted by The Official Marathon Time Integrity Unit (OMTIU) alleging the influencer’s misconduct during the Berlin Marathon. (@officialunofficialtime/Instagram)
CBC News attempted to verify the authenticity of the photos with OMTIU and the Berlin Marathon organizers but has not received a response yet.
The influencer, known as Abeeeer on the Chinese platform Rednote, issued a public apology to her 520,000 followers, admitting to the wrongdoing and expressing remorse for her actions.
She acknowledged that her behavior was disrespectful to the marathon’s spirit and confessed to concealing the truth in her post-race updates.
The bib number visible in the photos belongs to Yuanyuan Sun of China, who officially finished the race in 4:53:46.
-
Australian athlete apologizes for racing with diarrhea, forfeits the Beijing competition she won
-
Berlin Marathon winner limped to finish line after rupturing Achilles tendon chasing world mark
Reports suggest that the influencer had previously boasted about achieving a personal best but has since removed all Berlin Marathon-related content except for the apology.
Brooks, one of her sponsors, confirmed terminating their collaboration with her after investigating the incident and upholding their commitment to fair play and respect in sports.
The Berlin Marathon, with over 56,000 participants
