Joanna Wietrzyk wins Hyrox race while facing serious health incident
4 sources • 1 min read • Latest: Sep 18, 2026, 2:00 AM
Last updated Sep 18, 2026
Joanna Wietrzyk, 22, won the Hyrox race in Beijing on September 12, finishing in 1 hour, 1 minute, 23 seconds. Despite suffering bowel incontinence during the event, she continued competing, which has led to significant social media backlash. Hyrox organizers acknowledged a failure in safety protocols and pledged to improve communication and contingency plans for future events. In response to criticism, they emphasized their commitment to athlete welfare and clarified that frustrations should not be directed at competitors.
- •Wietrzyk continued racing despite experiencing bowel incontinence.
- •Hyrox organizers admitted to protocol failures and pledged improvements.
- •Critics claim health risks were posed to other competitors.
- •Wietrzyk shared a now-deleted hospital selfie after the race.
- •Response from Hyrox included warnings against threats toward athletes.
- 2:00 AMThe Guardian Sport — There’s a long history of athletes pooing themselves mid-race – why, and how can you avoid it?
- 8:12 PMFuturism — Spectators Horrified as Hyrox Athlete Recreates "Two Girls One Cup" at Live Competition - Futurism
- 9:08 PMUSA Today — Hyrox race goes viral after top athlete soils herself, shares equipment in win - USA Today
- 1:31 PMYahoo Sports — Hyrox World Champion, 22, Divides Opinion After Soiling Herself in Relentless Pursuit of Victory, Says ‘a Win Is a Win’
"Since the ancient Olympics, athletes like Hyrox competitor Joanna Wietrzyk have experienced runner’s diarrhoea. What does the science say about extreme exercise’s ‘mechanical jostling of the intestines’? Soiling yourself in public sounds like a bad dream. But the Australian athlete Joanna Wietrzyk has now apologised for doing just that at the Hyrox games in Beijing on Saturday. Wietrzyk won the fitness race but not before using communal equipment with faecal matter visibly running down her legs – and muddying Hyrox’s reputation. Continue reading...
"In a statement, one of Hyrox’s co-founders said that they “made a mistake by not reacting immediately during the race,” which took place in Beijing on Sept. 12
"Organizers of global endurance race Hyrox face backlash after allowing a top athlete to share equipment and finish after she soiled herself midrace.
Sources
External links- The Guardian SportSep 18, 2026, 2:00 AMThere’s a long history of athletes pooing themselves mid-race – why, and how can you avoid it?
Since the ancient Olympics, athletes like Hyrox competitor Joanna Wietrzyk have experienced runner’s diarrhoea. What does the science say about extreme exercise’s ‘mechanical jostling of the intestines’? Soiling yourself in public sounds like a bad dream. But the Australian athlete Joanna Wietrzyk has now apologised for doing just that at the Hyrox games in Beijing on Saturday. Wietrzyk won the fitness race but not before using communal equipment with faecal matter visibly running down her legs – and muddying Hyrox’s reputation. Continue reading...
- FuturismSep 15, 2026, 8:12 PMSpectators Horrified as Hyrox Athlete Recreates "Two Girls One Cup" at Live Competition - Futurism
Organizers of a recent Hyrox competition in China have been accused of allowing participants be exposed to a trail of fecal matter.
- USA TodaySep 14, 2026, 9:08 PMHyrox race goes viral after top athlete soils herself, shares equipment in win - USA Today
Organizers of global endurance race Hyrox face backlash after allowing a top athlete to share equipment and finish after she soiled herself midrace.
- Yahoo SportsSep 14, 2026, 1:31 PMHyrox World Champion, 22, Divides Opinion After Soiling Herself in Relentless Pursuit of Victory, Says ‘a Win Is a Win’
In a statement, one of Hyrox’s co-founders said that they “made a mistake by not reacting immediately during the race,” which took place in Beijing on Sept. 12
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