News24.com | A bizarre way to cheat: Scottish ultra-marathon runner disqualified for going by car

Joasia Zakrzewski. (Photo by Kai-Otto Melau/Getty Images)

• An ultra-marathon runner Joasia Zakrzewski has made headlines after it emerged she used a car during her race.
• The 47-year-old is believed to have travelled around 4km in a car during the 80km race.
• A friend of the runner says she is "genuinely sorry" and felt unwell.

Scottish ultra-marathon runner Joasia Zakrzewski has been disqualified from a race - because she was found to have used a car for part of the event.

The 47-year-old had finished third in the 50-mile (80km) GB Ultras Manchester to Liverpool race on 7 April.

But she is believed to have travelled 2.5 miles (4.02km) in a car after mapping data found she covered a mile in one minute and 40 seconds.

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Wayne Drinkwater, GB Ultras race director, told the BBC the matter had been investigated.

He said: "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."

Zakrzewski finished 14th in the 2014 Commonwealth Games marathon in Scotland and has set a number of records in ultra-marathon running.

Third place has been awarded to another competitor.

Adrian Stott, a friend of the runner, told the BBC she is "genuinely sorry" and felt unwell.

"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.

"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."

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