Ultrarunner Joasia Zakrzewski who used car says it was a massive error

A apical ultra-marathon runner who was disqualified from a contention for utilizing a car says she made a "massive error" accepting the trophy for 3rd place.

Joasia Zakrzewski said her actions were "not malicious" and the incidental was caused by miscommunication.

Dr Zakrzewski, from Dumfries, took portion successful the 2023 GB Ultras Manchester to Liverpool 50-mile contention connected 7 April.

It was aboriginal discovered she travelled by car for astir 2.5 miles earlier continuing to implicit the race.

The 47-year-old GP, who present lives adjacent Sydney successful Australia, told BBC Scotland however she had go mislaid connected the people astir the half-way people erstwhile her limb began to consciousness sore and she started to limp.

The symptom became truthful atrocious that erstwhile she saw a person connected the broadside of the people and she accepted a assistance successful his car to the adjacent checkpoint to archer marshals she was pulling retired of the race.

"When I got to the checkpoint I told them I was pulling retired and that I had been successful the car and they said 'you volition hatred yourself if you stop',"Dr Zakrzewski said.

"I agreed to transportation connected successful an non-competitive way.

"I made definite I didn't overtake the runner successful beforehand erstwhile I saw her arsenic I didn't privation to interfere with her race."

When she crossed the enactment she was fixed a medal and a 3rd spot woody trophy and posed for pictures.

The runner, who had arrived from Australia the nighttime before, said: "I made a monolithic mistake accepting the trophy and should person handed them back.

"I was bushed and jetlagged and felt sick.

"I clasp my hands up, I should person handed them backmost and not had pictures done but I was feeling unwell and spaced retired and not reasoning clearly."

Third spot successful the contention has present been awarded to Mel Sykes.

Dr Zakrzewski, said: "I'm an idiot and privation to apologise to Mel. It wasn't malicious, it was miscommunication.

"I would ne'er purposefully cheat and this was not a people race, but I don't privation to marque excuses.

"Mel didn't get the glory astatine the decorativeness and I'm truly atrocious she didn't get that."

Dr Zakrzewski said she regretted not clarifying with the marshals astatine the extremity of the contention that she was not moving competitively.

She said she was "devastated" by what had happened and highly upset to spot "haters" connected societal media calling for her to person a beingness ban.

"I've brought truthful overmuch to the moving satellite truthful I americium devastated this has happened," she said.

Wayne Drinkwater, the manager of the GB Ultras race, said that aft the ultramarathon helium received accusation a runner had gained an "unsporting, competitory vantage during a conception of the event".

He said information from contention tracking systems had been checked and statements were taken from different competitors earlier Dr Zakrzewski was disqualified.

Mr Drinkwater said a study had been submitted to the Trail Running Association, which provides the licence for the lawsuit and is an subordinate associate of UK Athletics.

In February, astatine the Taipei Ultramarathon successful Taiwan, Dr Zakrzewski won the 48-hour contention outright - mounting a satellite grounds crossed 255 miles (411.5 km).

Racing for Great Britain successful the IAU World 100km Championships, she won idiosyncratic metallic successful 2011 and bronze successful 2014 and 2015.

She besides represented Team Scotland successful the marathon astatine the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

In 2020, aged 44, she won a 24-hour lawsuit successful Australia with a region of 236.561km.

She has acceptable a fig of records including the Scottish 24-hour record, the British 200k and the Scottish 100 miles record.