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Stephy Zhang

Hyrox China has given full refunds to competitors affected by last weekend’s incident in Beijing, while the global governing body has updated its rule book to allow race directors to remove athletes if they pose a risk to the hygiene of the event.
The commercial fitness competition has faced intense public backlash since elite Australian athlete Joanna Wietrzyk suffered incontinence during the solo women’s event but was allowed to carry on and win.
Her mid-race left track surfaces and shared equipment contaminated for more than 1,000 subsequent participants.
In an email sent to participants on Wednesday, organisers offered to refund entry costs to those who started before 2.40pm on Saturday but had not finished by that time, as well as all athletes who departed in heat batches between 2.40pm and 8.40pm.
Wietrzyk’s solo women’s race began at 2.40pm and she needed little more than an hour to triumph across the 8km and eight-obstacle course.


“First, when the unexpected incident occurred during the afternoon session on September 12, we failed to timely arrange for the involved athlete to leave the track,” Hyrox China said. “Due to this operational oversight, you did not receive the good event experience you deserved, and for this we are deeply sorry.”
Officials added that on-site staff immediately disinfected the venue and completed a full track carpet replacement later that evening. Hyrox China noted that after a complete internal evaluation, the decision was made to issue full refunds, instructing runners to contact them if funds are not processed within 10 working days.
The financial remediation followed Hyrox officially updating its global rule book for the 2026-27 season, introducing emergency protocols for biological contamination.
Under the updated penalty section for all divisions, the rule book now explicitly addresses medical and hygiene risks on track in 12.3 Did Not Finish (DNF).
“If a racer’s blood, vomit, urine, or faeces poses a welfare or contamination risk to the racer or to other racers, a Race Director may withdraw the racer from the race on medical grounds, in line with Hyrox’s medical and hygiene SOPs. Any such withdrawal is recorded on the leaderboard as DNF.”
The refunds and policy overhaul follow days of escalating criticism, which was initially fuelled by the initial response from officials in China.
In a statement released 48 hours after the incident, in which Wietrzyk soiled herself midway through her race, Hyrox World acknowledged organisational lapses but defended the 24-year-old, praising her “courage, resilience and refusal to give in …[as] precisely what makes elite athletes so extraordinary”.
The statement failed to appease competitors and the public, with Chinese social media users condemning local organisers as “arrogant” for prioritising competitive perseverance over public health and equal rule enforcement. Before the change in the law book, athletes could be handed a two-minute penalty for spilling water or spitting on the course, but not an incident where faecal matter was left on the course.
Co-founder Moritz Furste ultimately had to step in with explicit apologies. He admitted the organisation made a mistake by “not reacting immediately during the race,” while Hyrox China conceded the global rule book lacked mechanisms to penalise competitors in such situations, pledging that the structural changes that have now been made.


Hyrox Beijing athletes get full refund, new hygiene rule will allow competitors to be axed

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Hyrox Beijing athlete who soiled herself says ‘win is a win’ as faecal row rages

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Hyrox

Hyrox China will refund the cost of entry for those affected by Saturday’s incident in Beijing. Photo: AP

Australia’s Joanna Wietrzyk sparked a row after finishing Hyrox Beijing despite suffering an accident during the race. Photo: Getty Images

Hyrox officials are facing an increasing backlash over their response to the incident in Beijing. Photo: Jocelyn Tam

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Athletes finished after women’s elite winner Joanna Wietrzyk on Saturday to get cash back. Australian would have been removed under new rules


Athletes finished after women’s elite winner Joanna Wietrzyk on Saturday to get cash back. Australian would have been removed under new rules.


Hyrox Beijing athletes get full refund, new hygiene rule will allow competitors to be axed

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Athletes finished after women’s elite winner Joanna Wietrzyk on Saturday to get cash back. Australian would have been removed under new rules

Athletes finished after women’s elite winner Joanna Wietrzyk on Saturday to get cash back. Australian would have been removed under new rules