A Chinese fitness influencer, known as Abeeeer, gained fame during the Berlin Marathon after claiming a personal best.
Evidence posted by an Instagram account revealed she rode a bicycle between the 35‑and‑40‑kilometre marks, breaching race rules.
She issued an apology and admitted to breaking the rules, leading the shoe company Brooks to terminate her sponsorship and the race organisers to disqualify her time.
The incident highlights the growing concern over GPS‑based time fabrication among runners, a focus of the Official Marathon Time Integrity Unit.
