An Australian marathon runner was recently stripped of her bronze medal and trophy from a 50-mile race after officials discovered she used a car during a portion of the course.
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Joasia Zakrzewski, 47, finished third in the 2023 GB Ultras 50-mile race from Manchester to Liverpool on April 7. Despite winning the bronze medal and trophy, she was aware that she violated marathon rules as she used a car for a portion of the course. According to Oddity Central, race organizers learned she reached a speech of 35 mph during a portion of the race.
Zakrzewski was disqualified after further questioning for using a friend’s car during the race. However, she explained that she was sick and had jetlag the night before but still opted to run the event. When she arrived at the checkpoint, the athlete began to feel discomfort in one of her legs and considered quitting, but her buddy offered her a lift in her car.
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“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. 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.”
Although she admits to her mistake of accepting the bronze medal and trophy, Zakrzewski said she wasn’t in the right state of mind at the time because she felt tired and sick during the marathon. She also apologized to the runner who deserved to trophy.
Sorry are cars not allowed? Did she perhaps consider herself to be above suspicion…
— Wakeycake (@Wakeycake) April 20, 2023
How do you use a car and still not win ? 🤦♂️ Glad this was identified and the true bronze medalist got their hard earned award
— Gazelk72 (@gazelk72) April 19, 2023
“The below happened because a fellow competitor cheated. After an investigation, she has now been DQ’d, and rightly so. How can someone who knows they have cheated cross a finish line, collect a medal/trophy, and have their photos taken!” said Mel Sykes, the real third-place winner.
What happens when a marathon runner cheats?
There are several consequences that a marathon runner can face if they are caught cheating during a course. This includes a disqualification from a race and legal penalties since cheating can occur in many forms.
If the cheating is uncovered during or immediately following the race, the runner may be disqualified and barred from competing in future races. The runner may also be obliged to return any prize money or accolades earned in some situations.
Suppose the cheating is uncovered later, for example, through camera evidence or witness testimony. In that case, the runner may still face sanctions, such as having their results annulled and being barred from future races. They may also incur public humiliation and reputational harm.