The race was 80 km long and monitored by GPS. Even “riding”, the Scottish runner finished the race in third place
3 hours before
Image: Twitter/Playback
A Scottish runner has been disqualified from a race in England after GPS data revealed he cheated during the race. She would have used a car to cover a portion of the 80 km route.
Josiah Zakrzewski, 47, is an international record-setting athlete who regularly competes in long-distance races. The test in question took place on 7th April, where the competitors had to do a stretch between the cities of Manchester and Liverpool Ultra.
By analyzing tracking data from a running app, event organizers realized that Jagrzewski covered the 1.6 kilometer distance during the race in one minute and 40 seconds. The current record for the same distance is 3 minutes 43 seconds.
In addition, it attracted attention that the runner broke the world record 94 heartbeats per minute.
Despite the disappointment, Scott finished the race in third place. He presented a medal, a trophy and posed for photographs.
However, after evaluating the information, the event committee, other competitors and the runner’s statements, the race director, Wayne Drinkwater, decided to remove her from the podium due to her “athletic” advantage. He said the athlete was not disqualified during the race as there was no immediate information.
The company boasts that the competition uses online and live GPS trackers, allowing family and friends to track participants’ progress throughout the competition.
The friend says the “hitchhiking” wasn’t planned
In an interview BBC, a friend of Jagrzewski defended her, saying she was tired and sick and wanted out of the race. According to Adrian Stott, this was not previously planned.
“She cooperated fully with the race organisers’ inquiries and gave them a full account of what happened. She is truly sorry for any inconvenience,” Stott said.
The record holders entered the British race just weeks after winning the 48-hour race over 410km in Taipei, Taiwan.
Due to the disqualification, the third place runner was transferred Mel Sykes, for completing the race in 7 hours 32 minutes 58 seconds. Kelsey Wiberly, who was already in first place, finished the marathon in 7 hours, four minutes, 23 seconds.
The incident was referred to UK Athletics, the body that regulates this type of competition in the United Kingdom.
Henry Blackwell is a contributor at Mediarunsearch.co.uk, covering a wide range of topics including news, politics, business, technology, sport, entertainment, and lifestyle. He focuses on delivering clear, balanced reporting and useful information that helps readers stay informed about current events and emerging developments. His work highlights stories that matter to everyday audiences, with an emphasis on accuracy, relevance, and accessible journalism.