Abeeeer, a mainland Chinese fitness creator with around 530,000 followers, posted a self-styled “personal best” of 4:53:46 after the 2026 Berlin Marathon on 27 September.
Her splits did not fit the story. The 5km from 35km to 40km came in at 30 minutes 49 seconds, her fastest 5km section of the race and more than six minutes quicker than any other 5km section. That stretch is where athletes normally slow, and where a photograph later placed her on a bicycle near the 38-kilometre mark.
The image came from the Official Marathon Time Integrity Unit, an Instagram account run by two Australian runners that investigates suspicious marathon performances. Chinese-language outlets picked up the images before Abeeeer responded.
The apology, almost a week later
Her apology landed on Saturday 3 October on Chinese social media.
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“Regarding my actions of riding a bicycle during the Berlin Marathon, I did indeed violate the race rules, and I make no excuses or defence for what I did.”
She called the conduct “extremely dishonest” and said physical discomfort “absolutely should not have been a reason for me to break the rules”. Her earlier account had been that she felt unwell around the 38-kilometre mark, vomited, fell, and borrowed a friend’s bike to reach a race marshal, insisting she had not skipped any part of the course. Marathon posts were then removed from her account.
Brooks China cuts the deal within a day
Her sponsor, running-shoe brand Brooks China, announced the termination on Sunday 4 October and said it would “never work with her again”.
The brand admitted its own checks on her race had gone no further than the material she handed in.
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“After the race, although we verified the finishing results and related text, images, and video materials they provided, we didn’t conduct a thorough and detailed review of the entire participation process, especially information such as segment data.”
OMTIU is not a race body
The Official Marathon Time Integrity Unit has no official role. It is an Instagram account that cross-references published splits, finish-line footage and spectator photographs when influencer PBs look suspect, and pushes the evidence into public view. That alone was enough to force Brooks’ decision.
Race organisers in Berlin have not announced any disciplinary action against Abeeeer. The marathon’s own rules forbid any use of a vehicle on the course, and finishers caught cutting the route are routinely struck from the results listing.
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