China company refutes rumours that chairman was man in viral 'secret affair' video filmed at Wuxi Marathon

The 2025 Wuxi Marathon held over the weekend went viral on social media after two runners were caught on video behaving awkwardly when they realised they were being filmed, raising suspicions of an extra-marital affair.

The rumours intensified after some opined that the man bore a resemblance to the chairman of a China tech company.

The company has since issued a statement denying that their chairman, Chen Lihao, was the man in the video.

Secret affair?

In a clip taken at the Wuxi Marathon on Mar. 23 by another male runner, a man wearing a white cap was seen with his hand on the shoulder of a woman in yellow.

The two were chatting while the woman used her phone.

However, after realising they were being filmed, the man removed his hand.

The woman smiled and pulled away from him, and the man followed suit.

Some netizens jokingly called the clip the "marathon adultery scene".

"Secret affair revealed at the Wuxi Marathon," one quipped.

Nevertheless, the pair — who had a noticeable age difference — continued to run together during the race.

They were also seen holding hands while crossing the finish line.

Company denied chairman was man in video

According to local media, the incident sparked public debate on Weibo, with some speculating the man could be Chen Lihao, chairman of publicly-listed Chinese software company YGSOFT Inc.

Others felt the man did not look like Chen at all.

The original clip has since been taken down by the user who filmed it.

The user clarified that he was not pressured into doing so, but was concerned about the rampant speculation caused by the video.

On Mar. 25, YGSOFT Inc posted an official statement in Mandarin on its Douyin page, refuting allegations that Chen was the man in the video.

The company said that Chen was in Guangdong on official company business and had never participated in the Wuxi Marathon.

It added that it reserved the right to pursue legal action against the publishing and spreading of false information.

Top image from Weibo