A British runner admits she made a "massive error" and wouldn't "purposefully cheat" after being disqualified from an ultra-marathon for taking a car ride for two-and-a-half miles of the journey.
Joasia Zakrzewski finished third in this month's GB Ultras race but has been stripped of the bronze medal. The 47-year-old took part in the 2023 50-mile race which went from Manchester to Liverpool on 7 April, but midway through found she was struggling with injury and pulled to the side.
She saw a friend on the side of the course and accepted a lift in his car as she planned to tell marshals she was withdrawing from the event at the next checkpoint. They urged her to keep going and she made an effort to finish, later welcoming the plaudits that came her way.
