Hyrox apologises and changes rules after Joanna Wietrzyk soiled herself during Beijing event

Australian Joanna Wietrzyk was allowed to finish and win a Hyrox event in Beijing on Saturday despite soiling herself mid-race, prompting organisers to apologise and announce immediate rule changes.

Footage of Wietrzyk competing showed her continuing through demanding exercises and using communal equipment with faecal matter visibly running down her legs, and the incident went viral on social media, sparking debate over health and safety and athlete responsibility. Hyrox, launched in Germany in 2017 and now staged internationally, made its mainland China debut in late 2024. In Hyrox races participants alternate between running a kilometre and completing high-intensity stations, including a rowing machine, sled pushes, burpee jumps, medicine ball throws and lunges while carrying a sandbag. Prior to the Beijing incident, the event rulebook penalised minor infractions such as littering on the course, or spitting or clearing one’s nose on the floor, but contained no immediate protocol for faecal matter.

The athlete involved is the world record holder in the Hyrox women’s solo event and had been invited to compete in Beijing; she went on to win the race despite the on-course incident. Footage circulated online showing her continuing through the course, which drew criticism from other competitors and spectators about the handling of the situation.

Hyrox co-founder Moritz Fürste issued an apology on Instagram, saying: "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," and he added that Hyrox has made "rulebook changes immediately". He also said, "As of this moment, there are new rules and procedures in place to prevent situations like this from happening again."

In separate statements Hyrox China and Hyrox World described actions taken after the incident and addressed procedural confusion. "After the incident, the organising committee immediately closed off and isolated the affected area and track, and completed comprehensive disinfection," Hyrox China organisers said. Hyrox World commented: "Protocols designed for elite competition and mass participation became blurred, creating ambiguity in how they were applied and understood."

Other athletes and social media users questioned why Wietrzyk was permitted to finish and whether fellow competitors’ health had been put at risk; some called for remedies from the organiser. Joe Ho, a male competitor in Beijing, wrote on Instagram: "For people who were exposed to that situation, there could be genuine physical and psychological consequences," and added, "I paid Hyrox to provide a professionally organised and safe event. So while I understand the athlete perspective, ultimately my contract and expectation is with Hyrox. "If the organisation accepts that something went wrong, why not offer affected participants refunds, credits, or some meaningful form of compensation?" Organisers warned they would ban anyone who sent abuse or threats of violence towards the athlete after her identity was shared online.

Wietrzyk posted then deleted a selfie to her Instagram story from what appeared to be a hospital bed with the text: "Go hard or go home … a win is a win. In all seriousness, thank you for all the support. I’ll be back soon x." Guardian Australia reached out to Wietrzyk and Hyrox for comment.

Organisers said affected lanes were isolated for deep cleaning, contaminated equipment was removed and venue carpet was replaced overnight before competition resumed the following day.