Scottish ultra runner apologises and insists her actions were not malicious
Joasia Zakrzewski has blamed an injury and jetlag for her decision to travel in a car for 2.5 miles of the Manchester to Liverpool 50-mile race earlier this month.
Her actions have been widely criticised but in her only interview since the incident the 47-year-old Scottish runner told BBC Scotland that her behaviour had not been malicious and that she had only got in a friend’s car because she was injured and wanted to let organisers know she wanted to pull out.
“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’,” Zakrzewski said. “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.”
Zakrzewski, who recently set a short-lived world record for 48 hours, admitted she was wrong to pose for photos and to accept a trophy and medal after the race.
She claims that come back from Australia the night before left her jet-lagged and unable to think properly. “I made a massive error accepting the trophy and should have handed it back,” she said.
“I was tired and jet-lagged and felt sick. I hold my hands up, I should have handed them back and not had pictures done but I was feeling unwell and spaced out and not thinking clearly.”
Third place in the race has subsequently been awarded to Mel Sykes. “I’m an idiot and want to apologise to Mel,” added Zakrzewski. “It wasn’t malicious, it was miscommunication. I would never purposefully cheat. I’ve given so much to the running world so I am devastated this has happened.”
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