Great Britain
Ultra marathon runner cheats with car and gets disqualified
The ultra-marathon runner Joasia Zakrzewski was said to have been exhausted from the journey and got into the car for a race
© Bernd Thissen / DPA
Joasia Zakrzewski is one of the best ultra marathon runners in the world. But her reputation may now have been damaged: at a race in England, she cheated with a ride in the car.
Scottish runner Joasia Zakrzewski is an experienced and successful extreme long-distance runner. But now the 47-year-old has damaged her reputation: in an ultra-marathon over 80 kilometers from Manchester to Liverpool, Zakrzewski covered a section by car and was then disqualified.
The 47-year-old used the vehicle for around 2.5 miles (4 kilometers), the BBC reported on Tuesday evening. Geospatial data showed that the doctor covered a mile in just one minute and 40 seconds. Statements from other participants and organizers have also confirmed the suspicion, said the head of the GB Ultras Race, Wayne Drinkwater, the broadcaster.
Joasia Zakrzewski complained about the exhausting journey
Zakrzewski, the British 100 and 200 mile record holder, had finished third in the April 7 race. She is sincerely sorry for the incident, a friend of the runner told the BBC. Zakrzewski felt uncomfortable before and during the run, having only traveled from Australia the evening before. “She is fully cooperating with the organizers,” said the friend. The case is now under review by the Trail Running Association.
The chairman of the Scottish Athletes’ Association, David Ovens, criticized the runner: “It’s very disappointing to hear about it, also because Joasia has been so successful in the past.”