Fitness influencer Abeeeer has admitted breaking marathon rules after photographs appeared to show her riding on the back of a bicycle during the Berlin Marathon, just days after she celebrated a 4:53:46 finish as a personal best.
The Chinese creator, who has around 530,000 followers, took part in the race on 27 September, but her achievement quickly came under scrutiny when images emerged showing her on a bicycle near the 38km mark. Her subsequent apology and the loss of a major sportswear partnership have now turned the supposed personal best into a very different story.
The Bike Ride Behind the 'Personal Best'
The controversy began after the Official Marathon Time Integrity Unit (OMTIU), an Instagram account that investigates questionable running performances, highlighted photographs appearing to show Abeeeer receiving a ride during the latter stages of the race.
The timing data added another layer to the scrutiny. According to reports, Abeeeer's 35km to 40km split was completed in 30 minutes and 49 seconds, making it her fastest five-kilometre stretch of the marathon. The unusually quick section also coincided with the part of the course where she was photographed on the bicycle.
She ultimately recorded a time of 4:53:46 and initially presented the result as a personal best.
The combination of the photographs and race data prompted questions online about how the result had been achieved. However, it was Abeeeer's own subsequent admission that confirmed she had violated the rules.
Abeeeer Admits the Rule Breach
On 3 October, Abeeeer issued a formal apology on social media and acknowledged that riding the bicycle during the marathon was against the rules.
She explained that she had felt unwell during the race. Reports have said she initially claimed she had become sick towards the 38km point and used a friend's bicycle while trying to find a race official and withdraw. She later accepted that her decision to take the ride was not justified by feeling unwell.
'I will not make any defence for the above behaviour,' she said in her apology.
Abeeeer also admitted that she deliberately concealed the bicycle ride when sharing her marathon experience afterwards.
'This was extremely dishonest,' she wrote.
She acknowledged that her actions violated the spirit of fair competition and said she accepted responsibility for what she had done.
That admission became a crucial part of the controversy. The issue was no longer simply about a photograph appearing to show an influencer receiving assistance during a race; Abeeeer had herself confirmed that the ride broke the event's rules and that she had not initially been transparent about it.
Her Social Media Profile Has Changed
The fallout has also affected what followers can see on Abeeeer's social media accounts.
Race-related content has been removed from her RedNote account, also known as Xiaohongshu, following the controversy. Reports have described her as deleting posts connected with the marathon, meaning some of the content surrounding her claimed personal best is no longer available to followers.
Her formal apology, posted on 3 October, remains central to the story because it provides her own account of what happened.
Abeeeer is known on RedNote/Xiaohongshu by the handle 'Abeeeer'. Readers looking for her profile should search the handle directly within the platform, although the content visible on the account may differ significantly from what was available before the controversy.
The disappearance of marathon-related posts has added another layer to the story, particularly because the original achievement had been presented publicly as a personal best before the bicycle photographs emerged.
Brooks China Ends Partnership
The consequences have also reached beyond social media.
On 4 October, Brooks China announced that it had terminated its partnership with Abeeeer after reviewing the circumstances surrounding her participation in the Berlin Marathon.
The sportswear company said it had known about her training plans and race goals and had provided equipment for the event. However, it acknowledged that its checks after the race had not been sufficiently thorough.
Brooks China said it had verified the finishing result and the photographs, videos and other material provided by the influencer, but had not conducted a detailed review of the entire race, particularly the segment data. The company described this as an 'oversight on our part'.
The brand said it had immediately ended the collaboration and would not work with Abeeeer again.
It also apologised to runners, consumers and others who had followed the incident, while promising to strengthen its approach to future partnerships and event-related risk management.
From Personal Best to Public Apology
The incident highlights the scrutiny that can follow when influencers turn sporting achievements into highly visible social media content.
Abeeeer's marathon result was initially something to celebrate. But once photographs and timing data raised questions, the attention shifted from her finishing time to how she had completed part of the course.
Her own admission ultimately provided the clearest answer. She accepted that taking the bicycle ride violated the rules and that hiding it afterwards was dishonest.
For an influencer with hundreds of thousands of followers, the consequences have been significant. Marathon-related content has disappeared from her profile, she has issued a public apology, and Brooks China has ended its partnership with her.
What began on 27 September as a claimed personal-best performance has become a cautionary story about transparency, sporting integrity and the risks of turning a personal achievement into polished online content.
Abeeeer's words now sit at the centre of the controversy: 'This was extremely dishonest.'
