[arista]

[By Angie Brown
BBC Scotland News

A top ultra-marathon runner who was
disqualified from a race for using a car
says she made a "massive error" accepting
the trophy for third place.

Joasia Zakrzewski said her actions were
"not malicious" and the incident was
caused by miscommunication.
Dr Zakrzewski, from Dumfries, took part
in the 2023 GB Ultras Manchester
to Liverpool 50-mile race on 7 April.

It was later discovered she travelled by
car for about 2.5 miles before continuing
to complete the race.]




[The 47-year-old GP, who now lives near Sydney
in Australia, told BBC Scotland how she
had become lost on the course around
the half-way mark when her leg began
to feel sore and she started to limp.

The pain became so bad that when she
saw a friend on the side of the course and
she accepted a lift in his car to the next
checkpoint to tell marshals she was
pulling out of the race.

"When I got to the checkpoint I told them
I was pulling out and that I had been in the car,
and they said 'you will hate yourself
if you stop'," Dr Zakrzewski said.

"I agreed to carry on in a non-competitive way.

"I made sure I didn't overtake the runner
in front when I saw her as
I didn't want to interfere with her race."]


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-65322631