PUBLISHED ONSeptember 15, 2026 8:56 AMBYKhoo Yi-HangAfter an athlete experienced faecal incontinence during a Hyrox race in Beijing last Saturday (Sept 12), the fitness racing franchise's co-founder has apologised and announced rule changes.
The announcement was made on Monday (Sept 14) via an Instagram post shared on the accounts of co-founder Moritz Furste and Hyrox's global account.
Addressing the incident, Furste wrote: "I apologise to all that were directly or indirectly affected, as well as to everyone who felt like we did not handle the situation like we should have.
"Hyrox made a mistake by not reacting immediately during the race."
During the Beijing race, participant Joanna Wietrzyk competed in the age 16 to 24 elite event when she was suddenly ill.
Despite soiling herself, Wietrzyk was allowed to continue her race, winning with a time of one hour, one minute and 23 seconds.
She later shared a now-deleted image of herself lying on a bed, captioning the post: "Go hard or go home they say… a win is a win."
Photos and videos of the incident quickly spread on social media.
Some netizens praised her determination, but many others hotly questioned why Wietrzyk had been allowed to continue competing and raised concerns about hygiene, fairness and athlete safety.
Following the backlash, Hyrox put out a statement highlighting its "clear biocontaminant and medical procedures in place".
However, "protocols designed for elite competition and mass participation became blurred, creating ambiguity in how they were applied and understood", Hyrox said.
This led to "frustration, questions and strong views" from the community that organisers are "prepared to hear" and take responsibility for.
The statement also cautioned the public against directing their frustration towards the athletes, warning that anyone identified doing so will be permanently banned from Hyrox events.
In his statement, Furste said it is his responsibility to foresee and react to incidents that may occur during the race, including the one involving Wietrzyk.
Acknowledging the organisation's failure to do so, Furste and Hyrox have since pledged to improve event processes, including changes to the rulebook.
"As of this moment, there are new rules and procedures in place to prevent situations like this from happening again," he stated.
Despite statements from both Hyrox and Furste, many netizens remain dissatisfied.
Some users pointed out that while Furste has apologised, Hyrox has yet to explicitly do so.
"Are you going to DQ (disqualify) [Wietrzyk]?" A user questioned. "Are you and Joanna going to apologise to the volunteers who had to clean up her s***?"
The user highlighted how the incontinence incident could have affected other athletes around her, adding: "Till date, there is no apology from Hyrox or from her.
"A win is a win," the user also said, referencing Wietrzyk. "A s*** is also a s***. She should be DQ-ed."
Another user simply said: "Completely unfair for any participants behind her! DQ!"
Others argued that permitting Wietrzyk to continue racing sent the wrong message about athlete welfare and sportsmanship.
"A true athlete understands that their dignity and responsibility don't exist only for themselves. They represent the sport, the community, and the people who look up to them," the user stated.
"Winning should never come at the cost of normalising behaviour that compromises health, hygiene, safety, and the integrity of the sport."
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khooyihang@asiaone.com
