SAPS Responds After Johannesburg Runner Reports Phone Theft at Absa Run Your City Race

• Runners at the Absa Run Your City Johannesburg 10km race on Heritage Day were targeted by thieves disguised as fellow participants
• Victim Khathutshelo Mulaudzi said she was at the police station alongside more than 100 others who reported stolen phones after the event
• SAPS confirmed only one official theft case had been opened, urging victims to report incidents at their nearest police station

Participants in the Absa Run Your City Johannesburg 10km race on Heritage Day, Thursday 24 September 2026, were robbed of their cell phones by criminals who blended in with the field as fake runners.

What was intended as a celebration of South African heritage descended into distress for many athletes who found themselves at a police station instead of a finish-line celebration.

Runners targeted along the route

Khathutshelo Mulaudzi, one of the affected runners, said her bag was cut during the race, though she could not pinpoint exactly where along the route the theft took place. She described the scene that followed as chaotic, with large numbers of victims converging at the police station to report the same crime.

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Affected participants directed criticism at race organisers and headline sponsor Absa, demanding accountability over perceived security failures and calling for clarity on the full number of victims.

As seen in the Facebook post below.

SAPS opens investigation

The South African Police Service acknowledged a social media post circulating about the incident, with Johannesburg District police management confirming it had noted the reports.

However, police spokesperson Captain Tintswalo Sibeko said only a single theft case had formally been opened after the event.

"According to the case reported, the circumstances surrounding the alleged theft are currently under investigation. No arrests have been made at this stage," Sibeko said.

Sibeko urged anyone who was victimised during the race or who holds information relevant to the investigation to come forward to their nearest police station. He also cautioned against the spread of unverified information online, warning that unchecked posts could generate unnecessary alarm.

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"Information shared publicly should, as far as possible, be based on verified facts," he added.

See the post below on X.

Absa had not responded to requests for comment at the time the source report was published.

Runner claims he was robbed during the race

Briefly News previously reported that a Two Oceans Marathon runner claimed he was robbed over the weekend during the ultra-marathon race in Cape Town while he was running.

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.

Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.

Source: Briefly News