Hyrox organizers issued an apology on Monday after permitting the winner of a Beijing, China event to continue the race despite losing bowel control, during which she ran on the indoor carpeted course and used shared equipment while feces covered her legs and arms.
Australian athlete Joanna Wietrzyk, 22, a Hyrox world record holder and elite competitor, experienced fecal incontinence during the September 12 event in Beijing. Photos from the competition show her pushing a sled, performing burpees, rowing, and running between stations while fecal matter covered her body. She completed the race in 1 hour, 1 minute, and 23 seconds, as reported by The Athletic, securing the victory. In a now-deleted Instagram post, she wrote, “Go hard or go home … a win is a win,” and shared a photo of herself in a hospital bed, adding, “In all seriousness, thank you for the support—I’ll be back soon.”
Although Wietrzyk framed the incident as a testament to professional endurance, the story spread rapidly online over the weekend, with fellow Hyrox athletes and Beijing event participants criticizing the organizers for permitting her to continue competing.
Since its inception in 2017, Hyrox has expanded from a niche consumer fitness event into a worldwide phenomenon. The competition consists of eight one‑kilometer runs interspersed with functional fitness stations such as the SkiErg, sled push and pull, burpee broad jumps, rowing, wall balls, sandbag lunges, and farmer’s carries. Wietrzyk competed in the professional division. With more than 100 events held annually across the globe—all on indoor carpeted tracks—the organization has cultivated a reputation for strict enforcement against any mess that could damage the surface or create hazards. Its rules penalize athletes for spitting, spilling water, littering, or creating slip hazards at any station.
According to The Guardian, Hyrox China and Hyrox World confirmed that the lanes on which Wietrzyk competed were thoroughly cleaned, the carpet replaced, and the equipment removed before the following day’s events. Early statements from Hyrox attributed the lapse to “blurring” and “confusion” regarding bio‑hazard protocols for professional athletes versus amateur participants. One earlier statement noted, “We ask our athletes to push themselves to the highest levels; at times they exceed even our expectations.” It continued, “That courage, resilience, and refusal to quit define elite athletes. Our responsibility is to provide the proper framework and boundaries that allow them to compete, perform, and express themselves at their peak.”
Hyrox now says the incident will prompt rule changes. “I apologize to anyone directly or indirectly affected, and to everyone who believes we mishandled the situation,” said co‑founder Moritz Fürste in an Instagram statement. “We failed to act quickly during the race, and it is my responsibility to anticipate such incidents—a duty I neglected.” He added, “Effective immediately, new rules and procedures are in place to prevent a recurrence. We learn and improve every day.”
Under the revised regulations, race officials may remove a competitor from the course if blood, vomit, urine, or fecal matter poses a contamination risk. Hyrox representatives did not immediately reply to Rolling Stone’s request for comment regarding the incident or any potential decision to strip Wietrzyk of her victory. The organization emphasized that any abuse or harassment directed at Wietrzyk will not be tolerated and could lead to bans from future events.
“Frustration should never be aimed at the athletes themselves. They are the individuals who put themselves on the line, compete at the highest level, and define the spirit of the competition,” organizers stated. “Our community has no tolerance for threats of violence or encouragement to harm any athlete.”
