Hyrox apologises and rushes through rule changes after Beijing race incident
Fitness competition organiser Hyrox has apologised and announced immediate rule changes after an Australian athlete was allowed to finish and win a Beijing event despite suffering bowel incontinence mid-race.
What happened
On Saturday in Beijing, at an event of the global indoor fitness competition Hyrox, women's solo world record holder Joanna Wietrzyk of Australia experienced faecal incontinence mid-race. Despite this, she continued competing, including using shared equipment such as a rowing machine and other stations. Footage of the incident spread rapidly on social media, prompting widespread debate about hygiene, athlete safety and the organisers' handling of the situation. According to Sixth Tone, Wietrzyk went on to win the race with a time of 1:01:23.
Organisers' response
Hyrox co-founder Moritz Fürste apologised on Instagram to everyone affected "directly or indirectly," acknowledging that the company "did not handle the situation like we should have" and that it was his responsibility to foresee such an incident. On Monday, Hyrox announced rulebook changes. According to Sixth Tone, the updated rules now allow a race director to withdraw an athlete if their blood, vomit, urine or faeces pose a welfare or contamination risk to themselves or other racers. The previous rulebook penalised littering, spitting or nose-clearing on the floor, but contained no provision for faecal contamination. Organisers in China said the affected area was immediately isolated and disinfected, contaminated equipment removed, and the venue's carpet replaced before competition resumed.
Criticism and concerns
Several athletes and social media users questioned the decision to let Wietrzyk continue racing. Competitor Joe Ho publicly said the organisation had failed to take proper responsibility and called for compensation for affected participants. According to Sixth Tone, a Beijing-based athlete surnamed Wang, whose heat began roughly an hour after Wietrzyk's, raised concerns about the potential spread of bacterial or viral pathogens. Wietrzyk posted, and later deleted, an image apparently taken from a hospital bed captioned "a win is a win," a remark some users saw as dismissive of other competitors' health concerns. Italian athlete Sara Gandola, who competed in the same race, defended Wietrzyk, arguing that responsibility for the rules lies with organisers, not athletes. Taiwan-based sports expert Anthony Huang told the BBC the incident reflects a results-driven attitude within the rapidly growing brand. After Wietrzyk's identity was shared online, some users directed threats at her; Hyrox said anyone found sending threats or encouraging violence would be permanently banned from its events.
Background
Hyrox is an indoor fitness competition founded in 2017 in Hamburg, Germany, combining running with strength stations. It debuted in mainland China in late 2024. According to Sixth Tone, this past weekend's Beijing event drew more than 11,000 participants, up from 1,700 at China's first Hyrox race in 2024, and the event was extended to four days due to high demand.
