UK Athletics has imposed a 12-month ban on Dr. Joasia Zakrewski, a Scottish ultra-marathon runner, for employing a car during a 50-mile race. This penalty was enacted despite Zakrewski

acknowledging her use of the vehicle during the run between Manchester and Liverpool on April 7 and participating in a 'noncompetitive way.'

Following revelations about her conduct, the 47-year-old has been stripped of her third-place title, which she had initially accepted despite the unauthorized assistance.

The Independent Disciplinary Panel of UK Athletics highlighted that Zakrewski should not have accepted the trophy if participating in a non-competitive manner and failed to return it in the week following the race.

While Dr. Zakrewski has expressed regret for the incident, she asserted that using the car wasn't a deliberate act of deceit. She clarified her actions in an interview with BBC Scotland, acknowledging the error in accepting the trophy and the lack of clarity due to fatigue and illness, emphasizing that her intention wasn't to cheat.

The incident drew criticism from fellow runners, with Mel Sykes, the runner who should have rightfully secured the third place, condemning Zakrewski's actions as disrespectful to race organizers and competitors. Despite Dr. Zakrewski's impressive athletic record, including representation for Team Scotland at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and setting UK records in the 100 and 200 miles, the controversy surrounding this incident has left her 'devastated.'  Photo by Robert Sandison, Wikimedia commons.