Abstract:
The hyroxworld official account issued a statement in response to the HYROX Beijing Station women’s elite track pollution incident. hyroxworld stated, “HYROX There are clear biocontamination precautions and medical procedures in place. But in this case, an unforeseen situation has arisen that has created confusion about how to apply and understand these protocols. We understand that these concerns are valid, and as organizers we must be prepared to listen to these voices, look at what happened, and take responsibility for continuous improvement.
But there is an important bottom line. Frustration should never be directed at the athletes themselves. They are the ones who take risks, compete at the highest level, and make this event happen. Threats of violence or incitement to harm athletes will have no place in our community. In light of incidents like this this weekend, we want to be very clear and direct: Anyone found to have engaged in such behavior - whether through comments, private messages or social media - will be permanently banned from all HYROX Competition. We are currently reviewing and identifying the responsible persons and will take action."
On social media, many netizens expressed doubts about hyrox's latest statement: "If you raise these opinions, it will be regarded as hurting elite athletes, which is authoritarian, arrogant and a verbal threat to all contestants." "Athletes should not be bullied online. She wants to insist on finishing the competition." It’s her personal choice, but isn’t the event only responsible for the two elite athletes? You also have the same responsibility and obligation for other contestants. In the future, can anyone bring something that pollutes the competition environment and compete with so many contestants? ”
Public information shows that on September 12, in the HYROX Beijing Women’s Elite Group event, an Australian player’s excrement contaminated her body during the competition, contaminating the track carpet and equipment, and the foreign matter also caused other players to slip. After the referee reported the situation, he only reminded him to make a detour but did not stop the game. The player finally won the championship.
Some viewers pointed out that domestic players were given a two-minute penalty just for drinking water and splashing it on their face, raising questions about the penalty standards. Joanna, the female player involved, posted a response on the social platform afterwards, with a short and direct attitude, saying "a win is a win" (a win is a win).
On the evening of September 12, the organizer of HYROX issued a response saying, "After the incident, the event organizing committee immediately implemented a closed isolation of the area involved and the affected track to complete a comprehensive disinfection operation. The relevant work continued until the end of the event that day. The relevant equipment has been removed from the site and disposed of in strict accordance with the municipal garbage removal management regulations. After all events conclude today, we will replace the carpets and carry out in-depth disinfection of the entire venue to further strengthen the hygiene protection of the venue."
However, the relevant controversy has not stopped. Some netizens believe that this is the ultimate manifestation of competitive will. However, more voices criticized this move for contaminating the shared sled mats, rubber floors and track, and that the excrement poses a risk of viral and bacterial infection.
Public information shows that HYROX is a functional fitness event originated in Germany. The project entered the Chinese market in 2024 and has now been launched in Shanghai, Hangzhou, Beijing, Shenzhen and other cities. The standard competition format is an 8-round cycle: each round starts with running 1 kilometer, and then completes 8 functional strength training items such as ski machine, push/pull sled, burpee, rowing machine, and farmer's walk. It requires extremely high cardiopulmonary and muscle endurance, and is called the "marathon in the fitness industry."
HYROX founder Moritz Fürste once said that the event’s revenue in 2025 will reach approximately US$130 million. By 2026, the number of HYROX participants will exceed 1.3 million, and revenue is expected to exceed US$220 million.
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