Hyrox Apologizes After Competitor Defecates During Beijing Race

Overview

• Joanna Wietrzyk, who suffered fecal incontinence on Sept. 12, continued the Hyrox Beijing competition and was recorded as the event winner.
• Videos and photos of the episode spread widely online and showed feces on the athlete, shared equipment, and parts of the course.
• Organizers did not stop the race on site but later isolated and disinfected affected areas, removed contaminated equipment, and replaced flooring.
• Hyrox co-founder Moritz Fürste apologized, said the company mishandled the response, and announced an immediate rule change letting race directors summarily remove athletes whose bodily fluids endanger others.
• The athlete has faced sustained online abuse and threats, the coach has defended her, and experts say the episode highlights governance and safety gaps as Hyrox expands rapidly.