An athlete competing in a Hyrox fitness race in Beijing has sparked widespread debate after continuing the event despite soiling herself midway through, with viral footage prompting a mix of admiration for her resolve and criticism over hygiene standards. The organiser, German fitness company Hyrox, said it launched a "major cleanup operation" after the Saturday event, including sanitising equipment and replacing sections of carpet, but faced backlash for allowing the athlete to continue racing and for how it handled the fallout after her identity was revealed online and she received threats of violence.

Some competitors in the same race demanded apologies and refunds, saying they were forced into contact with contaminated equipment, while critics questioned why officials did not intervene given Hyrox penalises acts such as spitting and littering. Hyrox condemned the threats against the athlete, warning that anyone found making them would be permanently banned from its events. Others in the fitness community defended the athlete, drawing comparisons to endurance athletes such as Paula Radcliffe, who famously relieved herself during the 2005 London Marathon before going on to win, and Chinese marathoner Li Meizhen, who finished a race earlier this year with menstrual blood visible on her legs.