A Chinese fitness influencer has been disqualified from the Berlin Marathon after race authorities uncovered evidence she had hitched a ride on a bicycle for part of the course, rather than completing the event entirely on foot. Yuanyuan Sun, 30, had publicly celebrated a personal best finish time of 4 hours, 53 minutes and 46 seconds at the September race — only for the result to unravel under scrutiny of her split times.
How the Berlin Marathon cheat was uncovered
Race officials grew suspicious after analysing Sun's split data, which revealed a glaring inconsistency: her 35–40km split was six minutes faster than her previous 5km segment and the quickest of her entire race. The anomaly prompted a deeper investigation, and images soon surfaced appearing to show Sun seated on the back of a bicycle — her legs dangling over the pedals — while an unidentified rider pedalled the bike, with Sun glancing at her watch.
The images were initially shared by the Official Marathon Time Integrity Unit on Instagram, with the caption describing the scene as evidence of an athlete allegedly hitching a ride from the 38km mark to the finish line in order to collect a medal. The post noted that race officials had received numerous reports of course cutting and the use of bikes and scooters at the Berlin Marathon event.
Sun was officially disqualified on Wednesday, despite having already posed for photographs with her finisher's medal after the race.
Influencer's apology to 520,000 followers
Sun, who operates under the handle Abeeeer on the Chinese social media platform Rednote, issued a public apology to her 520,000 followers after the disqualification was confirmed. The statement, translated from Mandarin, acknowledged her wrongdoing without ambiguity.
"Riding a bicycle during the Berlin Marathon did indeed violate race rules," the statement read. "Even if I felt unwell on the course, it should never be a reason for me to break the rules."
The admission represents a rare acknowledgement of wrongdoing among athletes caught cheating in competitive events, where denials are more commonly the first response.
Sponsor Brooks terminates partnership
The fallout extended beyond the sport itself. Sportswear brand Brooks, whose apparel and shoes Sun had worn during the race, moved swiftly to distance itself from the disgraced runner once the facts were confirmed.
"Upon verifying the facts, Brooks China immediately terminated its relationship with the influencer and publicly reaffirmed the brand's commitment to integrity, fairness, and the spirit of running," a brand spokesperson said in a statement.
The severing of the sponsorship deal underscores the commercial consequences that can follow a public integrity breach of this kind, particularly for athletes whose brands are built around authenticity and personal achievement.
Broader concerns about race integrity
The case has thrown a spotlight on the ongoing challenge of maintaining fairness in large-scale amateur marathon events. The integrity unit's Instagram post indicated that Sun's case was far from isolated, with officials saying they had "heard countless stories of course cutting and use of bikes/scooters" at the Berlin Marathon alone. With tens of thousands of participants in major city marathons, monitoring every runner's compliance across the full course remains a significant logistical challenge for race organisers worldwide.
