Paula Radcliffe defends Hyrox athlete who continued race after soiling herself

Paula Radcliffe has defended the Hyrox athlete who caused global controversy by continuing in the race after soiling herself.

The legendary British marathon runner, who famously relieved herself at the side of the London Marathon in 2005, said she can understand why Joanna Wietrzyk continued competing even though she defecated.

The 52-year-old said she ‘gets both sides’ of the incident and explained what happened to her in 2005 – saying people still come up to her now thanking her as events often have toilets on the course now.

Australian Wietrzyk, 24, earned notoriety around the world after she soiled herself mid-race during the Hyrox event in Beijing and carried on.

Talking about the incident, Radcliffe told the Untapped podcast: “It’s so, so difficult because I get both sides. Looking back to that one.

“The only other alternative I had [in 2005] was to carry on like that and then you’re uncomfortable, you’re spreading all along the route instead of just one contained spot.”

Radcliffe also said: “In 2005 there weren’t toilets on the course so I’d been looking for one for a while and couldn’t see one. I knew I had to climb a barrier.

“I was 16, 17 miles in. It’s not easy to climb a barrier at that point of a marathon.

“Even without the time you’re going to lose so I was kind of in a state of, I’m very good at not panicking and I was coming back from a period of disappointment and disaster of Athens.

“I was on pace for a women’s only record because obviously the 2:15 had been paced.

“I was on pace for a 2:17 low which was a women’s only world record and I was thinking I’m losing time all the time because I’m really uncomfortable and I don’t know what to do.

“It’s not something I’m proud of and it’s not something I would ever do if I had time not to do it but at that time I was thinking what do you have to do to make sure you win this race and run as quickly as possible.

“I saw a drinks station coming up and it had the drapes off the edge of the table so what I really hoped was that I’d be able to dive under the table, apologise to everyone and be able to carry on.

“When I got there the drapes were attached to the table.

“I’m mortified still now thinking back to it but at that time I was just like you have to get back on pace and it does still embarrass me now what I did but at the same time I wouldn’t have run the women’s only world record that I think stood for a while, maybe 10 years.

“I wouldn’t have done that had I not made that decision. The amount of runners who come up to me and say I understand what you did because I’ve been there and you had to stop and the runners who come up to me and thank me because they now have toilets on route.

“Your mind is in a different place in competition, I’m very good at going to that place, logically what do I need to do to get out of this in the best case scenario and then just do it as a PR and just get on with it.”