Hyrox Beijing athlete allegedly completes race despite fecal incontinence, organiser disinfects venue

A female athlete at the Hyrox Beijing fitness race sparked controversy after she apparently suffered faecal incontinence during the competition and yet still finished the race.

Photos and videos circulating on Chinese social media apps on Sep. 12 showed the athlete continuing with exercises, including burpee broad jumps, despite faecal matter reportedly being visible on her legs and parts of the course.

The incident prompted concerns from other participants and members of the public over hygiene and possible contamination of the race course and equipment, Hong Kong media outlet HK01 reported.

According to HK01, the athlete was Australian Joanna Wietrzyk, who went on to win the race that day.

Wietrzyk is an Australian elite athlete and participated in the Pro Women division at the Beijing event.

Australian Hyrox athlete Joanna Wietrzyk shits herself during Hyrox event in China.

She refused to leave the competition and finished it with shit stains on her body, touching all the equipment others will be using after her.

Recently Hyrox has been a trending form of exercise… pic.twitter.com/BlD89nCnwk

— Zhao DaShuai 东北进修🇨🇳 (@zhao_dashuai) September 13, 2026

Hygiene concerns raised

The incident drew mixed reactions online.

While some praised Wietrzyk for persevering and completing the physically demanding race, others criticised her decision to continue because other competitors had to use the same course and equipment.

Some users raised concerns about faecal matter reportedly being left on the running track, sled mats and other surfaces used by subsequent competitors.

One netizen argued that an unwell athlete should withdraw rather than continue at the expense of the race environment.

Others questioned Hyrox's handling of the incident, citing competition rules that penalise behaviour such as spitting, even though the athlete was apparently allowed to continue racing after the incident.

Hyrox Beijing organiser: affected areas closed off and disinfected

In a Sep. 12 statement posted on Weibo, Hyrox China said the organising committee immediately closed and isolated the affected areas and race lanes after the incident.

The areas were thoroughly disinfected, with cleaning work continuing until the day's races had concluded.

The organisers also removed equipment affected by the incident from the venue, and disposed of waste in accordance with local waste management regulations.

The organiser added that the carpets would be replaced after the day's events, followed by a deep cleaning and disinfection of the entire venue.

The organiser said the measures were intended to further strengthen hygiene safeguards at the competition.

"We ask all participating athletes to compete with peace of mind, and we wish everyone the ideal performance and a smooth completion of the race.

Hyrox China will always stand together with the vast number of athletes and sports enthusiasts to inherit and promote the spirit of sports competition, strictly adhere to venue environmental standards, and make every effort to create a safe and positive racing experience for all participants."