Athlete Joasia Zakrzewski travelled by car for about two-and-a-half miles before finishing third in the 2023 GB Ultras Manchester to Liverpool 50-mile race, the BBC reports.

Although she told officials that she was participating “in a non-competitive way” after feeling unwell, she collected the third-place trophy and failed to return it.

The independent disciplinary panel of governing body UK Athletics said: “Even if she was suffering from brain fog on the day of the race, she had a week following the race to realise her actions and return the trophy, which she did not do.”

It also pointed out that she “posted about the race on social media, and this did not disclose that she had completed the race on a non-competitive basis”.

Ms Zakrzewski, who now lives in Australia, cannot compete in UK races for 12 months.