There was no starting line. No medals, no t-shirts, no organizers. All dozens of runners found was silence. This is how an alleged fraud began to unravel, related to themed races that never took place and which today has many victims organizing to file complaints.
The alert no longer comes only from social media or athletics groups: the Federal Consumer Protection Agencyconfirmed receiving complaints and issued an official notice regarding registration fees charged for non-existent events.
A deception built with marketing, not with real events.
The scheme wasn’t improvised. The races were promoted with catchy names, eye-catching designs, and themes with high popular appeal. On the surface, everything seemed legitimate: dates, venues, pre-race kits, and supposed institutional endorsements.
However, when analyzing the testimonies of those affected, a clear pattern emerges:
- Payments requested exclusively by bank transfer
- Registrations directed to both personal accounts and a company called Eventos Deportivos MR SA de CV
- Total absence of staff on the day of package delivery
- Digital channels that stopped responding after receiving the money
In practice, the event only existed in advertising.
The key day: nobody showed up
In Mexico City, participants were summoned to pick up their race kits before a supposedly scheduled race on one of the country’s most iconic avenues. The meeting point: a parking lot near the National Auditorium.
Dozens of people showed up. No one greeted them.
Videos recorded at the event began circulating on TikTok and other platforms, showing the same scene over and over: runners waiting, checking their phones, trying unsuccessfully to contact the organizers. Within hours, the incident went from an isolated anecdote to a collective complaint.
Use of well-known franchises: a critical risk indicator
One of the most delicate aspects of the case is the use of themes associated with global brands such as Star Wars or the Wednesdayseries .
For experts in consumer behavior and digital fraud, this element is not accidental:
recognized brands reduce initial distrustand accelerate the payment decision, even when the processes are not entirely clear.
Using these types of franchises without authorization not only reinforces the deception, but could also entail additional legal liabilitiesfor violation of intellectual property rights.
Official warnings and public demarcations
The situation escalated when various institutions began to publicly distance themselves. In Monterrey, the administration of Fundidora Park denied any connection with several races advertised in its name, clarifying that there was no permit or coordination whatsoeverfor those events.
Shortly after, Profeco issued a direct warning to the public:
do not trust the provider, do not make transfers, and report any collection attempts related to these races.
Despite this, announcements of new events in different cities across the country continued to be published until recently.
The damage goes beyond money.
Although individual fees ranged from 400 to 700 pesos, the real impact is not only financial. Many affected individuals point to frustration, a feeling of being ridiculed, and a loss of trustwithin a community—the sports community—that typically relies on good faith and collective organization.
Today, several of the brokers are already working to file formal complaintsand prevent the scheme from continuing to ensnare victims.
The lesson: when the event only exists on networks
This case once again confirms a constant in the current fraud ecosystem: a carefully curated digital presence does not equate to a legitimate operation.
At AntiScamNews, we insist:
- Be wary of payments to individuals
- Verify venues and endorsements directly with the venues
- Be suspicious if there are no invoices, contracts, or clear customer service channels.
Making these cases visible doesn’t bring back the money immediately, but it reduces the scope of action for those who turn illusion into a business.