HYROX has updated its Rulebook following last weekend’s incident at HYROX Beijing, adding specific language allowing a Race Director to remove an athlete from a race if blood, vomit, urine or faeces creates a welfare or contamination risk.

The change comes after HYROX co-founder Moritz Fürste issued a personal apology for how the situation involving Joanna Wietrzyk was handled during the race.

Moritz Fürste Apologizes

“I need to address all of you directly concerning the recent events in China.

I apologise to all that were directly or indirectly affected, as well as to everyone who felt like we did not handle the situation like we should have.

HYROX made a mistake by not reacting immediately during the race.

In the end it is my job to foresee these potential incidents – and I did not.

Of course, we started improving event processes, plus making rulebook changes immediately. As of this moment, there are new rules and procedures in place to prevent situations like this from happening again.

We learn and try to get better everyday.”

The New HYROX Rule

The updated Rulebook now states:

“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 Did Not Finish [DNF].”

The language is included under the Rulebook’s Did Not Finish section.

The rule does not state that the presence of blood, vomit, urine or faeces automatically results in removal. It gives the Race Director the authority to withdraw an athlete when it poses a welfare or contamination risk to that racer or others.

An athlete withdrawn under the rule receives a DNF.

What Was Already in the Rulebook

HYROX did have rules related to athlete conduct and course conditions before the Beijing incident.

The existing penalty table included a two-minute penalty or possible disqualification, at the Race Director’s discretion, for “spitting or clearing nose.” Littering and rapid cooling carried a two-minute penalty per infringement, while unsporting behavior could result in a two-minute penalty or disqualification at the Race Director’s discretion.

However, those rules did not specifically address blood, vomit, urine or faeces creating a contamination risk on the course.

The new rule expressly addresses those situations and establishes a procedure for removing an athlete on medical grounds.

Fürste Responds to Critics

Fürste also personally responded to several comments underneath his apology.

One commenter wrote that the decision should have been made during the race and added, “I’m not sure she can be DQ’d against a rule that doesn’t exist currently.”

Fürste replied:

“true”

Another commenter asked whether people could now defecate at HYROX events without consequences.

Fürste responded:

“not anymore”

Some of Fürste’s other exchanges with critics appeared more tongue-in-cheek.

When one commenter wrote, “This is a very weak apology from Hyrox,” Fürste responded:

“okay – I tried”

Another asked, “LOL did you finally hire a decent PR to come up with the logical answer?”

Fürste replied:

“something like that – yea”

Comments on the apology post have since been turned off.