Organisers of the Absa Run Your City Joburg 10k say they dispute reports claiming that nearly 100 cellphones were stolen during the Heritage Day event. They confirm that they checked with the South African Police Service (SAPS) and say only two theft incidents were formally reported.

The organisers’ response follows circulation of allegations that large numbers of phones disappeared during the race, which they describe as inaccurate. While some reports focus on the scale of the alleged thefts, the organisers point to the official number of cases recorded by SAPS as the basis for their challenge. The matter is framed as a dispute between widely shared claims and what police records show.

The incident is tied to the public-running event held in Johannesburg for Heritage Day. The organisers’ statement indicates they have engaged directly with authorities to verify the reported incidents, while the earlier claims have been questioned for not matching formally recorded reports.