International fitness competition brand, Hyrox, has apologised after allowing an athlete to continue competing at an event in Beijing after she soiled herself during the race.
Video footage of the incident sparked criticism online, with concerns raised about hygiene and the decision by officials to allow the woman to remain in the competition despite the situation.
Hyrox co-founder, Moritz Fürste, accepted responsibility for the handling of the incident and apologised to everyone affected “directly or indirectly”.
He said the organisation would make immediate changes to its rules and event procedures.
In a statement posted on Instagram, Fürste said Hyrox “did not handle the situation like we should have”.
He also said the company had failed to anticipate such an incident and was committed to “improving event processes” to “prevent situations like this from happening again”.
Hyrox had earlier warned that anyone who abused or threatened the athlete after her identity was circulated online would be banned from future events. “There is no place in our community for threats of violence or encouragement to harm an athlete,” the company said.
“Any person identified as engaging in this behaviour – whether through comments, direct messages or social media – will be permanently banned from all Hyrox events,” it added.
The German sports brand said it had “clear biocontaminant and medical procedures” but acknowledged that “an unforeseen situation arose” during the Beijing event, causing confusion over how its protocols should be applied.
Some participants reportedly demanded an apology and refunds after Saturday’s competition, claiming they had been exposed to contaminated equipment.
Joe Ho, who competed at the event, criticised Hyrox and urged the organisation to “take responsibility when its own procedures fail”.
“If the organisation accepts that something went wrong, why not offer affected participants refunds, credits, or some meaningful form of compensation?” he wrote.
Anthony Huang, an associate professor in the Department of Sport Information and Communication at the National Taiwan University of Sport, told BBC Chinese that the incident could point to a “results-driven attitude” within the rapidly expanding sport.
“The idea that ‘a win is a win’ represents a results-driven view of competition, but a mature sporting culture can’t just ask whether you won – it also has to ask how you won,” he said.
Hyrox, which combines running with exercises such as sled pushes, burpee jumps, indoor rowing and sandbag lunges, was founded in Hamburg, Germany, in 2017 and has since expanded internationally.
The competition entered mainland China in late 2024 and now has more than 500 affiliated gyms offering specialised training across the country, according to Xinhua.
The Beijing event was expanded to four days after demand exceeded expectations, allowing more competitors to take part.
