Sun Disqualified From Berlin Marathon After Bicycle Ride

Chinese fitness influencer Sun Yuanyuan was disqualified from the Berlin Marathon after admitting she rode on the back of a bicycle during the race and concealed it when presenting her finish as a personal best. Brooks China ended its partnership with her following a review, the company said. Sun, who posts as Abeeeer on RedNote, had described her time of 4:53:46 in the September 27 race as a personal best. In an apology posted on October 3, she said riding the bicycle violated race rules and that feeling unwell did not justify her actions. She also acknowledged hiding the ride when sharing her account of the race. The Official Marathon Time Integrity Unit, an account that examines race results and is not affiliated with the Berlin Marathon organiser, had published a photograph appearing to show Sun on a bicycle near the 38-kilometre mark. It also highlighted her split times: Sun took 36 minutes 51 seconds to cover the 30-to-35-kilometre section, then 30 minutes 49 seconds for the next five kilometres. The unusually faster split and photograph prompted scrutiny, but they do not establish how far Sun travelled by bicycle or how much time the ride saved.