Ultra-marathon athlete Joasia Zakrzewski has been handed a 12-month ban by UK Athletics after it was revealed that she used a car during the 2023 GB Ultras Manchester to Liverpool 50-mile race on April 7.
BBC reported that despite finishing third and receiving a medal and trophy, tracking data revealed that Zakrzewski covered approximately 2.5 miles by car before resuming the race.
Zakrzewski argued that she informed officials about her non-competitive completion of the race.
However, an independent disciplinary panel noted that she accepted the trophy at the race’s conclusion, which contradicted her non-competitive stance.
According to the panel, Zakrzewski failed to return the trophy within the week following the event.
The panel highlighted that even if she experienced confusion on race day, she had ample time in the subsequent week to recognize her actions and return the trophy, a step she neglected.
It added that her social media posts about the race did not disclose the non-competitive nature of her participation.