Brooks Drops Abeeeer Permanently Over Berlin Bike Ride

The sponsor's verdict: partnership terminated for good

Brooks China has formally ended its relationship with the influencer known as Abeeeer after photographs showed her riding on the back of a bicycle during the Sept. 27 Berlin Marathon. In a statement reported by CBC News, the brand said it terminated the partnership after verifying the facts and that running 'should be grounded in integrity, fairness, and respect for competition.' Yahoo Sports reports the company went further, saying it would 'never cooperate with them again in the future' and apologizing for the episode. Canadian Running Magazine notes Brooks announced the termination on Oct. 4, one day after Abeeeer's apology.

SourcesCBC Canadian Running Magazine Yahoo Sports

Brooks admits its own oversight

In an unusual twist, the sponsor apologized for its part in the scandal. According to Stomp, carrying reporting from The Straits Times, Brooks acknowledged that while it had reviewed her finishing time and social media content, it had not adequately examined details such as her split times, calling the failure 'an oversight on our part.' The Express reports the brand promised to be 'more cautious in selecting partners' and to improve its partnership evaluation and event risk management mechanisms. The admission highlights how thoroughly Abeeeer's 4:53:46 'personal best' had been absorbed into her sponsored content without scrutiny.

SourcesStomp Daily Express US

The evidence that unravelled a 'PB'

The Official Marathon Time Integrity Unit (OMTIU), an Instagram watchdog run by two anonymous Australian runners according to Canadian Running Magazine, flagged photos showing Abeeeer riding pillion near the 38km mark on Oct. 1. Multiple outlets report her fastest 5km split of the entire race — 30:49 — came precisely between 35km and 40km, the stretch where she was photographed on the bike. Abeeeer, who has over 520,000 Xiaohongshu followers, apologized on Oct. 3, saying feeling unwell was no excuse, calling her concealment 'a very dishonest act,' and deleting her Berlin Marathon posts.

SourcesCanadian Running Magazine CNA Lifestyle

Why the sponsor cut runs deeper than one apology

For running fans, the story is a case study in how much a marathon result is worth to an influencer's brand. Canadian Running Magazine reports the discrepancy was hiding in plain sight: her quickest 5km stretch was the one where she got the lift. Stomp reports OMTIU wrote that it has 'seen a shift in behaviour' since influencers joined the running scene, accusing some of shaving minutes off with watch pauses, imaginary finish lines and inaccurate GPS data. CNA Lifestyle adds that skeptics note her account shows roughly 500,000 followers but near-zero engagement, fueling questions about her content overall.

SourcesCanadian Running Magazine Stomp CNA Lifestyle

A long rogue's gallery of course-cutters

Abeeeer joins a notorious lineage. Multiple pack reports recount Rosie Ruiz, stripped of her 1980 Boston Marathon title after officials determined she ran only about the final mile, and Stomp adds Fred Lorz, disqualified at the 1904 Olympics after covering part of the course by car. CBC News lists Rob Sloan's 2011 Kielder Marathon bus ride and Joasia Zakrzewski's 2023 disqualification for riding in a car during a 50-mile race. Stomp also cites the 2018 Shenzhen Half Marathon, where 237 runners received two-year bans and traffic-camera footage exposed the shortcuts.

SourcesCBC Stomp

What comes next

The immediate consequences appear settled: the sponsorship is terminated, the result is discredited, and Abeeeer has scrubbed her Berlin content from Xiaohongshu, according to Yahoo Sports and CNA Lifestyle. CBC News reports it reached out to OMTIU and the Berlin Marathon for confirmation but had not received a response, leaving open whether organizers will take further action against the runner registered as Yuanyuan Sun. Brooks says it will strengthen vetting of future collaborators, per CNA Lifestyle. Meanwhile OMTIU's spotlight suggests influencer race claims will keep facing the same split-time scrutiny that caught this one.

SourcesCBC Yahoo Sports CNA Lifestyle

Sources

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