In brief
Sun Yuanyuan, a fitness star on Chinese social media, was caught on camera biking between the 35‑km and 40‑km marks of the 2026 Berlin Marathon. An Instagram account devoted to race time integrity released her split times, proving she gained an unfair advantage. Sun apologized on Rednote and admitted to breaking the rules, but her sponsorship with Brooks was terminated and her finish time was disqualified by the marathon organisers. The incident highlights growing concerns over GPS‑based time fabrication among influencers.
Chinese influencer Sun Yuanyuan (Abeeeer) loses her sponsor after a photo reveals her riding a bicycle during the Berlin Marathon.
Sun claimed a personal best during last September’s Berlin Marathon, but the official Marathon Time Integrity Unit posted a picture that appeared to show her perched on a bicycle between the 35‑km and 40‑km marks.
The Instagram account also released a split‑time grid that clearly shows a sudden acceleration in that segment, confirming that the influencer had taken a shortcut. Sun publicly apologized on the Chinese social media platform Rednote, admitting she “did not find any excuse for this behaviour” and that she had deliberately concealed her actions.
Brooks China responded by terminating her sponsorship, stating that “running must be grounded in integrity, fairness and respect for competition.” The Berlin Marathon organisers also disqualified Sun’s finish time.
The incident underscores a mounting concern over GPS‑based time fabrication and selective Strava displays, especially among fitness influencers who maintain large audiences.
