‘My Day Was Ruined’: Two Oceans Marathon Runner Claims He Was Robbed During Race

• A Cape Town ultra-marathon turned sour for one participant after a post-race discovery sparked outrage and concern
• The incident has raised serious questions about parking security and access control at a major sporting event
• Despite the setback, the runner still managed an impressive personal performance that drew support from fellow athletes

A Two Oceans Marathon runner claimed he was robbed over the weekend during the ultra-marathon race in Cape Town while he was running.

The marathon took place over the weekend from Saturday, 11 April until Sunday, 12 April 2026 and was won by legendary runner Gerda Steyn. The iconic event was missing one of its familiar names after former Comrades Marathon winner Bruce Fordyce bid an emotional farewell to the race days before its commencement.

Runner reports robbery during Two Oceans Marathon

On Sunday, a fellow runner at the marathon, Oscar Von Platen, took to social media to report that he had a horrible experience after a robbery ruined his day. He shared his experience on Instagram:

Read also

Zamdela detectives seek public help after man found shot dead in car in Amelia section

"Dear Two Oceans Marathon, my race day was ruined. Needless to say, after an amazing time on the road, I learnt that my car was broken into and that my personal belongings were stolen from the boot, including my ID, driver's licence, and bank cards, which were totally milked dry of all the money on them."

He further elaborated in his statement that he had parked in a safe and secure place that he had paid for, which also had security guards on hand. He claimed that organisers or security officials allowed non-drivers or non-paying individuals into the parking area at Groote Schuur High School.

"You had security that was not patrolling and had people scouting the parking area for possible vehicles to break into. This is horrendous. I am in a state and completely at my wits' end. I am in a situation that nobody wants to be in, never mind worrying about possibly not being able to get on a flight tomorrow because I have no identification on hand."

Read also

"Beautiful but dangerous": US tourist dies on KZN beach after going under a wave at St Lucia

Mixed emotions after completing the race

The organisers have not responded to Oscar's claims of robbery. Briefly News reached out to them for comment, but had not received a response at the time of publication. Fellow runners sympathised with Oscar in the comments section and reacted with dismay.

Read the full statement below on Instagram:

Oscar later shared a picture of himself after completing the race, with a more upbeat caption:

"Despite everything that happened, by grace, resilience, strength and courage, I conquered my second Oceans with a massive PB, improving by 40 minutes one year later. It was a joyous experience overall and one that every runner deserves to enjoy, and one that I will do again and again."

See the post below:

Athletics South Africa faces pressure from MPs

Briefly News previously reported that Athletics South Africa (ASA) is under mounting pressure over allegations of leadership chaos and weak financial controls.

Read also

"It's surreal": US gent skateboarding to Cape Town from Uganda has Mzansi rallying behind him

MPs have accused ASA of lacking proper financial oversight and failing to maintain stability at the executive level.

Source: Briefly News