Chinese Fitness Influencer Caught Cycling Mid-Marathon, Brooks China Cuts Ties
Chinese fitness influencer Abeeeer finished the Berlin Marathon in 4 hours, 53 minutes and 46 seconds, announcing on social media that she'd set a personal best. Race photos and split-timing data that surfaced afterward told a different story: around the 38-kilometer mark, she appears to have covered part of the course on a bicycle. She later apologized publicly and admitted to breaking race rules. Sportswear brand Brooks China subsequently ended its endorsement relationship with her. The images were first shared by Instagram account @officialunofficialtime, with the story later compiled by media outlet Complex.
What happened
- Race: Berlin Marathon
- Person involved: Chinese fitness influencer Abeeeer
- Announced finish time: 4:53:46 (claimed as a personal best)
- The problem: photos and segment timing data show her riding a bicycle around the 38km mark
- Her response: public apology, admission of rule violation
Marathon courses are lined with timing checkpoints, and when a runner's pace in one segment diverges sharply from the segments before and after it, that gap becomes the clearest red flag for scrutiny. That's essentially what triggered this case — cross-referencing on-course photos against split data exposed the discrepancy.
How the brand responded
Once the story spread, Brooks China ended its partnership with Abeeeer. For a brand built around athletic performance claims, the authenticity of an endorser's results speaks directly to the product story — which is why these kinds of brand splits tend to happen quickly once a controversy is confirmed.
Image source: @officialunofficialtime / Abeeeer.