Scottish ultra-marathon runner Joasia Zakrzewski has been disqualified from a race – because she was found to have used a car.
The 47-year-old from Dumfries had finished third in the GB Ultras Manchester to Liverpool race on 7 April. But she is believed to have travelled 2.5 miles in a car after mapping data found she covered a mile in one minute and 40 seconds. Wayne Drinkwater, the director of the GB Ultras race, told the BBC it was “very disappointing”.
“The issue has been investigated and, having reviewed the data from our race tracking system, GPX data, statements provided from our event team, other competitors and from the participant herself, we can confirm that a runner has now been disqualified from the event having taken vehicle transport during part of the route,” he said. “The matter is now with the TRA [Trail Running Association] and, in turn, UK Athletics as the regulatory bodies.”
Quick Guide
A brief history of sporting shortcuts
Show
Fred Lorz, 1904 St Louis Olympic Marathon
Exhaustion claimed Lorz less than halfway through the race in 1904, at which point he slumped into a car and was driven back towards the finish line at the Olympic stadium. He hopped out and crossed the line first but admitted his shortcut when challenged by officials. Lorz claimed it was a joke-gone-wrong. The powers that be didn’t see the funny side and banned him for a year.
1904 Tour de France
The second edition of the fledgling Tour de France was something of a fiasco. Maurice Garin, the inaugural winner in 1903, was attacked by masked men during one stage, fans along the route attempted to help their favourites and delay their rivals by whatever means necessary, and the riders were no angels either. In the end the first four – Garin, Lucien Pothier, César Garin, and Hippolyte Aucouturier – were all disqualified, most likely for travelling some of the route on a train.
Rosie Ruiz, 1980 Boston Marathon
The unknown Cuban-American Ruiz stunned the world by crossing the line first in the women’s race at the 1980 Boston Marathon. Eight days later she was stripped of the victory when evidence emerged that she had run only the final mile of the race.
Sergio Motsoeneng, 1999 Comrades Marathon, South Africa
The 21-year-old Sergio Motsoeneng crossed the line in ninth place but days later it was revealed that he and his brother Arnold ran the race as a relay, swapping clothes and their race number in a portable toilet at the halfway stage. Photos showed the two men at different stages of the race. Their mistake? They had forgotten to switch watches.
Mexico City Marathon, 2017
An example of apparent mass course-cutting: more than 5,000 were disqualified out of 28,000 runners for a variety of infractions. Guardian sport
Zakrzewski finished 14th in the 2014 Commonwealth Games marathon in Scotland and has set records in the UK over 100 and 200 miles. Third place has been awarded to Mel Sykes.
Adrian Stott, a friend of the runner, told the BBC she is “genuinely sorry” and felt unwell before and during the race. “The race didn’t go to plan. She said she was feeling sick and tired on the race and wanted to drop out,” he said.
after newsletter promotion
“She has cooperated fully with the race organisers’ investigations, giving them a full account of what happened. She genuinely feels sorry for any upset caused.”