HYROX athlete sparks outrage after suffering faecal incontinence mid-race but refusing to quit

A division in the world of HYROX has been created after one athlete soiled herself midway through a race in Beijing.

Pictures and videos of her went viral as she continued to complete the event on Saturday (12 September) after suffering the incontinence. And well, some people are not happy about it.

There’s been a lot of concern about hygiene as other participants competed on the same race – using equipment and sharing the carpet.

But others have praised her for pushing through to complete the HYROX race and carrying on despite the state of her legs.

The German fitness company said in a statement that it launched a ‘major cleanup operation’ after the event and urged people not to direct their frustrations ‘towards the athletes themselves’.

She continued to compete following the incontinence. (Fred Lee/Getty Images)

Chinese media reports that some of those who participated in the same event have demanded an apology and a refund from HYROX. They reportedly complained that they were forced to come into contact with contaminated equipment.

As you’ll know if you’ve ever spent more than two minutes in the fitness algorithm end of social media, these races include the likes of sled push, burpees, farmers carry, wall balls and a one kilometre run for each of the eight workout stations.

The company said that after the event its cleanup involved sanitising the equipment and replacing sections of the carpet.

But some don’t believe she should have been allowed to continue competing, saying it’s different to having the ‘runners’ runs’ as it is an ‘indoor competition’. While others argue HYROX ‘should have given her the option to clean and restart’.

The indoor event uses shared equipment and carpeted floor. (Fred Lee/Getty Images)

HYROX statement

The fitness company shared an official statement on social media: “We recognise that this can understandably lead to frustration, questions and strong views within our community. Those concerns are legitimate and, as organisers, we must be prepared to hear them, examine what happened and take responsibility for continuing to improve. “And we will. But there is an important line.

“Frustration should never be directed towards the athletes themselves. They are the people who put themselves on the line, compete at the highest level and make competition what it is.

“There is no place in our community for threats of violence or encouragement to harm an athlete. As this has happened this weekend, we want to be very clear and direct: Any person identified as engaging in this behaviour - whether through comments, direct messages or social media - will be permanently banned from all HYROX events.

“We are currently reviewing and identifying those responsible, and action will be taken.”