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Organizers of Hyrox, the global indoor fitness competition, apologized and pledged immediate rule changes after an Australian athlete was allowed to finish and win an event in Beijing despite soiling herself mid-race.
Footage of world record holder Joanna Wietrzyk competing on Sept. 12 showed her continuing through the competition's demanding exercises and using shared equipment, with fecal matter visible on her legs.
The footage circulated widely on social media and prompted debate over Hyrox's health and safety standards and athlete responsibility.
Hyrox launched in Germany in 2017 and is now held in locations worldwide. It debuted in mainland China in late 2024.
In each race, participants alternate between running one kilometer and completing fitness exercises at shared high-intensity stations, including a rowing machine, sled pushes, burpee jumps, medicine ball throws and lunges while carrying a sandbag.
Before the incident, event rules already penalized athletes for minor infractions such as littering on the course or spitting or clearing their nose on the floor. The rulebook contained no specific protocol for fecal contamination.
Hyrox co-founder Moritz Furste apologized in a statement posted to Instagram to everyone affected "directly or indirectly" by the incident. "Hyrox made a mistake by not reacting immediately during the race."
In the end it is my job to foresee these potential incidents, and I did not," Furste said, adding that the organization had made "rulebook changes immediately."
"As of this moment, there are new rules and procedures in place to prevent situations like this from happening again," he said.
Hyrox China and Hyrox World organizers confirmed the affected lanes were isolated for deep cleaning overnight, contaminated equipment was removed and venue carpet was replaced before competition resumed the following day.
"After the incident, the organizing committee immediately closed off and isolated the affected area and track, and completed comprehensive disinfection," Hyrox China organizers said.
Hyrox World said clear bio-contaminant and medical procedures exist but became difficult to apply consistently in this case.
"Protocols designed for elite competition and mass participation became blurred, creating ambiguity in how they were applied and understood," the organization said.
Wietrzyk, the world record holder in the Hyrox women's solo event, had been invited to compete at the Beijing race.
She posted and later deleted a photo to her Instagram story that appeared to show her in a hospital bed, writing: "Go hard or go home. A win is a win. In all seriousness, thank you for all the support. I'll be back soon."
Athletes soiling themselves during high-endurance competition is not unprecedented, particularly in marathon running.
British athlete Paula Radcliffe won the 2005 London marathon after experiencing gastrointestinal distress and stopping at the 22-mile mark, in view of television cameras.
Some competitors in Beijing questioned the response. Joe Ho, a male participant, said in an Instagram post that athletes who pay to take part in Hyrox events had been let down by the organization's handling of the situation and called for compensation for those affected.
Following criticism directed at Wietrzyk online after her identity was shared, organizers said anyone sending abuse or threats toward the athlete would be banned from future Hyrox events.
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