Police arrest 22-year-old Ballarat man over missing mum Samantha ...

• In short: A 22-year-old man has been arrested over the disappearance of Ballarat East woman Samantha Murphy.
• The 51-year-old mother of three has been missing since February 4, after going for a run near her home.
• What's next? Police say the investigation remains ongoing and the man has not yet been charged.

Victoria Police have arrested a man over the suspicious disappearance of Ballarat East woman Samantha Murphy.

The 22-year-old Ballarat man was arrested shortly after 6am on Wednesday at his home.

The man, who is not connected to the Murphy family, remains in custody and no charges have been laid.

Ms Murphy, 51, went missing on February 4 after leaving her Eureka Street home for a morning run.

Despite a significant investigation and extensive searches of the Canadian Forest area, no trace of the mother of three has been found.

Last month, police said they believed it was unlikely Ms Murphy was still alive and they were investigating whether she had been "removed" from the area.

This morning, Victoria Police said there were no further updates and the investigation remained ongoing.

"We understand that there is a continued high level of interest in this investigation and concern about Samantha's disappearance, however it remains critical that any speculation does not impede any aspects of the investigation," a Victoria Police spokesperson said.

Hundreds had joined recent bushland searches around Ballarat

The last sighting of Ms Murphy came from CCTV footage outside her own home.

She was wearing a maroon running shirt, black leggings, and an Apple watch.

Ms Murphy's phone, watch, and headphones have still not been found.

Her home is close to the northern border of the Woowookarung Regional Park, or Canadian Forest, where she was known to run.

Police said two weeks ago they believed Ms Murphy, who left her home about 7am, had reached the Mount Clear area roughly an hour later.

Hundreds of community members have joined search efforts in recent weeks, hoping to find a trace of Ms Murphy.

Ms Murphy's family held a press conference in the week after her disappearance, with her daughter Jess Murphy saying her mum was a strong woman and far too determined to give up.

"Mum we love you so much and we miss you. We need you at home with us. Please come home soon," Jess said.

In the weeks that followed, friends described Ms Murphy as a strong, fit and grounded person who they still hoped would be found.

Samantha Murphy disappearance timeline

• February 4, about 7am: Samantha Murphy leaves her Ballarat East home to go for a run
• February 4, 11am: Ms Murphy's family sounds the alarm when she doesn't return from her run in time for a brunch
• February 5: Ground searches begin throughout the forest and outer Ballarat suburbs 
• February 8: Ms Murphy's husband and daughter hold a press conference appealing for information
• February 10: The bushland search is scaled down by Victoria Police, who confirm Ms Murphy's disappearance is being treated as suspicious
• February 23: Victoria Police announce a renewed search in the Mount Clear area based on new mobile phone data
• March 6: Police arrest a 22-year-old man at his Ballarat home

Investigators have been reviewing about 12,000 hours of footage and following up 500 separate pieces of information from the public.

Detectives are continuing to appeal for anyone who has CCTV or dashcam footage and is yet to speak to police to come forward.