Sports
Chinese Influencer Caught on Bike at Berlin Marathon
Caught hitching a bike ride at km 38 after a suspicious split, the creator lost her Brooks sponsorship and issued an apology.
Chinese influencer Abir celebrated a personal best of 4:53:46 at the Berlin Marathon, but photos and timing data revealed a bicycle ride in the final stretch. Following the backlash, the runner admitted to cheating, leading Brooks to terminate her sponsorship.
The road running community has witnessed yet another bizarre cheating scandal at a World Marathon Major. Chinese digital influencer known online as Abir celebrated what seemed to be a personal best at the Berlin Marathon, crossing the finish line with an official time of 4:53:46. However, the celebration was short-lived once visual evidence and timing data exposed the shortcut she took.
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Fastest split and caught at km 38
Suspicion arose from an analysis of her split times. The segment between kilometers 35 and 40 recorded the fastest 5 km of her entire race. Shortly after, images released by the Official Marathon Timing Integrity Unit confirmed the reason for the sudden burst of speed: the runner was photographed riding on the back of a bicycle around kilometer 38, with her bib number hidden at the time.
Contract termination and apology
With the fallout covered by international outlets including Runner's World, Abir released an official apology admitting to the rule violation and stating there was no excuse for disrespecting the spirit of the marathon. The commercial fallout was swift: Brooks China, which supplied gear and sponsored the creator, acknowledged a failure in its initial data verification and terminated its endorsement contract with the athlete.
On Radar Stemma, the hosts discussed the brand's crisis management approach, noting that dropping sponsorships is standard and necessary when faced with misconduct that undermines sportsmanship and sets a damaging precedent for the running community.
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