Organisers of the Absa Run Your City Joburg 10k have strongly refuted reports claiming that nearly 100 participants were victims of theft during the Heritage Day event held in the Johannesburg CBD on Thursday.
Initial media reports suggested that close to 100 runners had their cellphones stolen while competing in the mass-participation race. However, official confirmation from the South African Police Service (SAPS) indicates that only two criminal incidents were logged.
On Friday, SAPS reaffirmed that the official count remained strictly at two reported cases.
According to race organisers, two separate bag-slashing incidents were formally routed through the event’s Venue Operations Centre (VOC): one located within the Batch D starting area, and another at Water Point 2. Both occurrences were immediately handled according to established security and safety protocols.
Dezroy Poole, Event Director of the Run Your City Series, addressed the situation: “Any incident affecting one of our runners is one incident too many. We are deeply concerned that two of our participants experienced these incidents, and our team responded immediately through the event’s established safety and security structures.
“We also have a responsibility to communicate accurately. Based on the information verified through our Venue Operations Centre and directly with SAPS, two bag-slashing incidents were formally reported. This does not support claims that more than 100 runners were affected.
“Mass-participation events present a range of operational and security considerations. As organisers, our responsibility is to anticipate these risks, put appropriate measures in place, and respond effectively when incidents occur. We also encourage all runners attending large public events to remain aware of their surroundings and vigilant with their personal belongings.”
Poole emphasised that organisers will continue collaborating closely with SAPS and will disclose any further verified incident details should they become available.
@MichaelSherman
IOL Sport
