texas

Runners Will Not Get Refund For Canceled 5K Race

The event has now been changed to a "virtual race"

The Firefly Run is held across the U.S. It's a 5k race and it was supposed to be making its way to Plano Saturday night, but runners recently learned its not happening after all.

A North Texas runner got a letter in the mail saying the race "will not take place due to unforeseen circumstances."

The organizers also mailed a package which included a shirt, LED's, and sponsor items to the participants in case they wanted to run on their own.

As you can imagine people who signed up for this 5k want their money back, but according to the organizers, their registration is non-refundable.

Bobbi Grimes-Davis says she didn't receive anything in the mail and found out the event was canceled on Facebook.

The woman who posted said that she received a letter in early February about the cancellation.

"With me registering two weeks after that, it's just really odd," says Grimes-Davis.

We checked the firefly run's registration page online — and the event has now been changed to a "virtual race."

We then reached out to the organizers of the run:

"I'm not sure what can be done...Participants sign a waiver understanding there are no refunds in the event of a cancellation. However, we offered full refunds through Daily Deal purchases...There was a major issue with both the venue and important organizations that led us to cancel the event and make it into a virtual run. We had to purchase participant items at the beginning of the year so we are needing to pay back for those items; hence why in our waiver we have to put no refunds."

The organizer says they've put this run on for seven years in a row with no cancellations.

The NBC 5 Responds team has found it's not uncommon for races to be called off. Unfortunately for the consumer, a non-refundable registration fee isn't uncommon either.

But Grimes-Davis, who's been training for the 5k, says a heads up would have been nice.

"Just the lack of information and response. I've heard nothing from these people at all."

So if you're signing up for a race, here are Sam's Solutions:

• Check the fine print. Find out what happens to your registration fee in the even of a cancellation
• You may also want to purchase race insurance if offered
• And always check to make sure event has proper permits from the host city

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