It was billed as the “the brightest 5K on the planet,” an incandescent rave for runners under the stars amid the backdrop of a sparkling lake, lush lawns and the Santa Ana Mountains.
For months, Phoenix-based Cool Events, LLC had glowingly promised on Facebook that the Blacklight Run at Oak Canyon Park in Silverado would be three miles of fun in the dark. But when dozens of participants, many clad in fluorescent party outfits and carrying glow sticks, arrived at the idyllic location on the evening of Feb. 12, it was clear that something was amiss.
They wandered around in the darkness, searching for the event organizers, to no avail.
“I’ve been to these types of events before and usually there is a DJ and a big party,” said Kate Durham, a 30-year-old runner from Tustin. “But when I rolled up at Oak Canyon Park for the Blacklight Run there were only vehicles on the side of the road and a ton of people standing outside of them, frustrated and confused. I got out of my car and the first thing somebody said to me was that the run was a scam.”
Canceled races, no refunds
Since 2019, the Better Business Bureau has received more than 225 complaints against Cool Events for its handling of 5Ks with ubiquitous names such as the Foam Glow, Bubble Run, Terrain Race and Muddy Dash.
Many of the grievances have the same refrain, alleging Cool Event entices runners to pay registration fees, abruptly scuttles races and then refuses to respond to requests for refunds.
“They cancel, postpone, or routinely move the venue or date with no offer of refund or guidance on what options one has,” one complainant bemoaned. “Then after your window of opportunity to file a claim with your credit card provider is closed, you are out of luck.”
Another disgruntled runner groused, “They will not offer refunds, have not offered a credit for future events, and the customer service email address provided didn’t work. I understand that they are a business but they cannot simply pocket everyone’s money and keep it.”
Cool Events’ troubling track record prompted the Better Business Bureau to issue a warning to consumers stating that the business often postpones or cancels races and does not provide refunds.
Additionally, Cool Events has faced legal difficulties in Southern California.
Michiko Yamada filed a class-action lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court in 2018 alleging the company engaged in false advertising after canceling a Blacklight Run in San Bernardino County and then refusing to reimburse him for two tickets due to its “zero refund policy.”
The lawsuit was dropped in 2019 after Cool Events agreed to settle with Yamada
Also in 2019, more than 4,000 participants in Lexington, Missouri. learned a day before a so-called Terrain Race was to take place that Cool Events had canceled the event “for unforeseen circumstances beyond our control” and would not be issuing any refunds, according to Fox4 Kansas City.
Events still scheduled
Even as runners rant about canceled races, Cool Events — through a dizzying array of websites and Facebook pages — continues to promote a variety of themed runs scheduled later this year in several cities, including Phoenix, Las Vegas, Sacramento and Fort Worth. Some of the events are set for the same day in multiple locations thousands of miles apart.
Among its upcoming events is a bubble-themed run back at Oak Canyon Park on Saturday, March 5. Officials with James Event Productions, an Anaheim company that manages events at the park, confirmed Thursday that Cool Events has booked the venue.
The event is being sponsored by Backstock, a purported online shopping club, and Virtual Run, both owned by Bill Spata, who is also the chief executive officer of Cool Events.
Earlier this week on the Cool Events website, registration fees for Saturday’s Bubble Run were slashed from $40 to $15. Registration also includes a $1 mandatory donation to 1Wish, a nonprofit organization that helps sick children and is operated by Spata’s wife, Valerie Sanchez Spata.
Despite its problems, Cool Events seems to have had some successes.
Durham attended a Blacklight Run in San Jose in 2016 that was well organized and had an energetic vibe.
“They had dance party lights and we were absolutely covered in neon powder by the finish line,” she said. “There was a big dance party at the end in front of a stage with a DJ blasting dance club music.”
That experience prompted Durham, without hesitation, to sign up for last month’s run at Oak Canyon Park that ultimately was canceled. “It definitely sounded like a fun time to try again,” she said. “And it was extremely disappointing to have it canceled with no warning.”
Victor and Samantha Costa of Huntington Beach registered for the Oak Canyon Park Blacklight Run because it seemed like a fun way to fulfill their new year’s resolution of becoming more healthy. They feel betrayed by Cool Event’s refusal to reimburse registration fees..
“I really hate it when someone takes advantage of other people,” said Samantha Costa, 31. “We just wanted to go and have a fun day and meet other people.”
Tim Kiley of Crestline said the canceled Blacklight Run in Silverado was a missed opportunity for him to build memories with his wife and daughter. “They (Cool Events) didn’t steal hundreds of dollars from me,” he said. “But it is still significant because we were excited to do the run as a family.”