A conclusion involves the tale that made mainstream headlines previous this yr, the place Jo Zakrzewski was once disqualified from the 2023 Manchester To Liverpool Extremely 50 Mile ultramarathon after using in a automotive for a couple of miles of the race.
Zakrzewski will serve a one-year ban from racing occasions sanctioned by means of UK Athletics, the UK’s governing frame for athletics, in addition to training.
Document photograph of Jo Zakrzewski operating on the 2015 IAU 100k Global Championships. Photograph: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
After its April 2023 disqualification of Zakrzewski, GB Ultras, the group at the back of the Manchester To Liverpool Extremely 50 Mile, launched a observation that it was once turning the case over to UK Athletics for additional investigation.
On November 10, 2023, UK Athletics launched its ruling and located that Zakrzewski had breached the Code of Habits for Senior Athletes by means of failing to “take part inside the regulations of the game, appreciate choices of coaches and officers, and exhibit appreciate in opposition to fellow athletes” in addition to failing to “act ethically, professionally and with integrity, and take accountability for her movements.”
Zakrzewski, a Scottish ultrarunner, is most probably very best identified for atmosphere a then international file by means of operating 255.7 miles (411.5 kilometers) in 48 hours in February of 2023. She has additionally been a member of Group Nice Britain for more than one IAU 100k Global Championships in addition to a staff supervisor for the development, whilst having been named Scottish Athletics Masters Athlete of the 12 months in 2020.
After the incident in April, Zakrzewski advised “BBC Scotland,” the one information supply we consider Zakrzewski spoke to post-race, that she’d best flown to the UK from Australia the evening prior to the Manchester to Liverpool Extremely 50 Mile, which resulted in the jetlag that she says contributed to her deficient resolution to get right into a automotive in the midst of the 50-mile race, get again out, and pass the end line in a aggressive approach.
In step with the United Kingdom Athletics ruling, Zakrzewski advised the governing frame that harm led to her to climb into a pal’s automotive all over the development, and when she’d gotten out to inform the marshals that she was once injured and was once retreating from the race, they inspired her to proceed in a non-competitive foundation, which she did.
The United Kingdom Athletics ruling states that marshals declare that she by no means advised them that she’d ridden in a automotive for a part of the direction, and when given the chance to contest the marshals’ proof, she declined to take action.
Excerpt of U.Ok. Athletics written resolution sanctioning Jo Zakrzewski.
After completing the development, explains the United Kingdom Athletics ruling, Zakrzewski went on to just accept the trophy for her end and posted concerning the race on social media, by no means citing the journey within the automotive. Whilst Zakrzewski claimed that she by no means supposed to cheat, she additionally by no means denied her movements, pronouncing in a letter to UK Athletics this is quoted within the ruling, “As mentioned, I settle for my movements at the day that I did commute in a automotive after which later finished the run, crossing the end line and inappropriately receiving a medal and trophy, which I didn’t go back right away as I must have performed.”
Nonetheless, UK Athletics identified in its ruling that she had every week after the race to reconsider her movements and go back the trophy and didn’t. And on that foundation, they discovered her in breach of the Code of Habits for Senior Athletes. Whilst the suspension for the breach would most often be two years, it was once diminished to at least one yr because of Zakrzewski being “subjected to a tribulation by means of social media” and cooperating totally with the investigation. The governing frame additionally cited that she’d “in the past had a transparent and impeccable file.”
Jo Zakrzewski on her solution to atmosphere a then 48-hour international file on the Taipei Ultramarathon previous in 2023. Photograph: Chinese language Taipei Affiliation of Ultrarunners
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