Humorous Anecdotes, Observations & Accounts of Marathon Running & Agile Adventures.
This currently unidentified man running in Nicke van Wyk’s 2026 Two Oceans half marathon race number is officially the first person to be bust by AI for bib banditting. I have contacted van Wyk to let her know about her ‘world first’ but have not received a response at the time of writing. I would of course like to get the name of the man who is running in her number as well.
As I write this (wearing my Running Mann hat) I can tell you (wearing my board hat) that there are 91 reported cases of bib banditting in the Two Oceans half marathon and four in the ultra marathon. I am sure that there are some more that haven’t been uncovered – yet – but the overall number is likely somewhere between 100 and 200.
This is still a tiny fraction of the overall field. Most people follow the rules and abhor those that don’t. If you banditted you are in the minority. This is not a case where everyone is doing it. There will always be one or two people who “didn’t know I was doing anything wrong” but the majority of those who banditted (and those who defend the bandits) are consciously delinquent.
Continue reading “The Running Moan: Why Bib Banditting is Wrong”