Paula Radcliffe says she understands why Hyrox athlete continued racing

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  Paula Radcliffe said she understands why Hyrox athlete Joanna Wietrzyk continued racing after defecating during an event in Beijing.

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  Radcliffe said she “gets both sides” of the incident, drawing on her own experience during the 2005 London Marathon.

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  She said there were no toilets on the course in 2005 and that stopping would have affected her race.

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  Radcliffe said she was embarrassed by what happened but believed the decision helped her set a women’s-only world record.

Who

Paula Radcliffe discussed Australian Hyrox athlete Joanna Wietrzyk’s decision to continue racing.

What

Radcliffe said she understands why Wietrzyk continued after defecating during a race. She said she “gets both sides” of the incident.

When

Radcliffe’s comments were reported on 12 October 2026. Wietrzyk’s race date is not stated.

Where

Wietrzyk’s incident occurred during a Hyrox event in Beijing; Radcliffe described her own experience in the 2005 London Marathon.

Why

Radcliffe said stopping or continuing involved difficult choices, and that in competition she focused on what she needed to do to keep racing as quickly as possible.

This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.