- An ultramarathon runner has been banned from competing for 12 months.
- Suspicions arose after data showed Joasia Zakrzewski 'running' a mile in under two minutes.
An ultramarathon runner has been banned for 12 months for using a car during a race.
Joasia Zakrzewski, 47, secured a third-place finish in the 50-mile 2023 GB Ultras Manchester to Liverpool race in the UK in April.
However, race-tracking information later showed that she traveled by car for about 2.5 miles before continuing the race on foot, according to BBC News.
The news outlet reported in April that suspicions first arose after data showed Zakrzewski covering a mile span of the race in just one minute and 40 seconds.
According to the Guinness World Records, the fastest time to run a mile is a little over three minutes and 43 seconds.
Zakrzewski collected her trophy but was later disqualified, with her conduct being referred to UK Athletics, which launched an investigation under an independent disciplinary panel.
It reached a decision on October 9 but the decision was only made public this week.
The panel pointed to the fact that Zakrzewski had claimed that she told marshalls she had been in a friend's car for some of the race.
She also told them that she had said she was injured and was competing in a "non-competitive way," which was inconsistent with the marshalls' recollection, according to the panel's decision.
It also said that she did not seek to return the trophy in the week following the race.
"Even if she was suffering from brain fog on the day of the race, she had a week following the race to realize her actions and return the trophy, which she did not do," the panel said.
The panel added that Zakrzewski had "ample opportunity to remedy the situation," which she failed to do.
It also noted that she had posted about the race on social media and "did not disclose that she had completed the race on a non-competitive basis."
Although the panel would normally recommend a suspension of up to two years, it said that it accepted a reduction to 12 months because of mitigating factors.
The panel noted that Zakrzewski had cooperated with the investigation, previously had a "clear and impeccable record," and had already been subject to "trial by social media."
The ban bars Zakrzewski from competing in any event organized or run under the UK Athletics Rules for Competition, or from representing Great Britain or any of its constituents in events organized in the UK or overseas.
She's also banned from coaching, officiating, and managing for a year.
Zakrzewski had set a number of running records in her career, including the British 200km and Scottish 24-hour record.
She issued an apology in April, saying that her actions were a miscommunication and were "not malicious," per BBC News.
Zakrzewski was unable to be reached for comment.