Hyrox Apologizes After Competitor Defecates on Course at Beijing Event

Overview

• The incident that occurred on Saturday, Sept. 12, involved Australian competitor Joanna Wietrzyk suffering fecal incontinence during the Hyrox Beijing race and finishing first despite visible soiling of her clothes and legs.
• Photos and viral videos show feces on the course and shared equipment used by other athletes, and multiple reports say the race was not stopped while some competitors reportedly slipped on contaminated areas.
• Hyrox issued an official statement saying its medical and biocontamination protocols exist but were applied inconsistently, and cofounder Moritz Fuerste publicly apologized and announced immediate changes to rules and event processes.
• Organizers and local teams say they isolated affected zones, disinfected surfaces, removed contaminated apparatus, and replaced the carpet after the competition, according to reporting citing event authorities.
• The episode has provoked strong social-media backlash over athlete safety and event governance and could pressure Hyrox to standardize clearer on-course medical-stop and decontamination rules across its global events.