Sheffield Half Marathon is a shambles

[Fudbeer 12]

The vast majority of competitors (4000) ended up running all be it in less than ideal circumstances I think they should not get a refund.

 

That leaves about 1000 who either didn't show up because of injury or other reasons or got turned away.

 

The ones who got turned away and did not start I do feel sorry for particularly those from over citys.

 

Maybe a compromise would be that those runners could apply for a refund in practice you would probably find that many would not bother, I bet you would find less than 500 applied.

[RichK 10]

8th April was Tuesday. He/she probably printed the form off first thing Monday morning and sent it by first class post, falling on his sword.

 

Must have been online, I can't believe the postal version would be so efficient. I don't think you can resign without a serving director signing the form (although I'm not sure).

 

I hope he wasn't resigning because of non payment of an invoice (which some previous posters have suspected), because that makes the committee's statement “We refute(sic) the comments made by Water Direct [re the non payment]" highly questionable.

 

I was one of the people saying "let's move on" earlier in the thread and I did feel sorry for the committee, but with the mud slinging and the information from Stuart Hale (accelerate) posted earlier about what the committee were like to deal with, I'm beginning to change my mind about that.

[No User Name 10]

Which post is the Accellerate one?

 

As for resigning, you don't need another director to sign it. I certainly didn't.

[RichK 10]

Which post is the Accellerate one?

 

As for resigning, you don't need another director to sign it. I certainly didn't.

 

I was sure it was this forum that had a link to it, but it seems not! I must have picked it up from somewhere else....

 

http://www.accelerateuk.com/buzz/2014/04/the-race-that-wasnt/

 

Anyway I'm going to follow my own advice from earlier and stop my moaning, although it will be interesting to see where the spat between them and the suppliers ends.

[gumshoe 10]

The organisers have now removed their statement implicating the water company, but are STILL investigating!! However, they can't even get the name of their own charity right.

[Fudbeer 12]

Yes thinks its time to wait and see what they have to say now.

[Waldo 96]

I was sure it was this forum that had a link to it, but it seems not! I must have picked it up from somewhere else....

 

http://www.accelerateuk.com/buzz/2014/04/the-race-that-wasnt/

 

Anyway I'm going to follow my own advice from earlier and stop my moaning, although it will be interesting to see where the spat between them and the suppliers ends.

 

It's a good article, and I've seen it linked to elsewhere on here, anyhow thanks for posting again.

 

To me, the race itself (the runners and people who come out to support etc), is bigger than the organising committee or company. For the people who are demanding refunds; they need to ask themselves, do they want the race to go on? I do, and so I won't be wanting a refund (feel like I pretty much got what I paid for in any case).

 

Where there is wrong doing and serious mistakes on the part of the organisers, that needs to come out and be dealt with appropriately.

 

Some people are just not seeing the bigger picture; they feel entitled to a refund (and some, perhaps who didn't run, and justified in feeling that way), but do they want everyone to get a refund if that puts the future of the race in jeopardy? What about the impact on future fundraising for local charities?

[Boing 10]

Hear hear Waldo :-)

[francypants 445]

If the organizers had said something along the lines of " We're very sorry about what happened..... anybody wanting a refund may apply for one " I should think most wouldn't bother.

 

HOWEVER it's the way they have said " No refunds !!! " It has really annoyed people and now MORE will want a refund...... on principal, and I don't blame them.

[tonkatoy 10]

If the organizers had said something along the lines of " We're very sorry about what happened..... anybody wanting a refund may apply for one " I should think most wouldn't bother.

 

HOWEVER it's the way they have said " No refunds !!! " It has really annoyed people and now MORE will want a refund...... on principal, and I don't blame them.

 

Indeed. It is one thing to put in your terms and conditions that there will be no refunds, but that is subject to you providing the services specified. So it might hold water when a competitor doesn't show, or drops out etc, but it certainly doesn't allow someone to collect thousands of pounds for a service they fail to deliver. I think solicitors will be having a field day in the weeks to come.

 

---------- Post added 10-04-2014 at 15:25 ----------

 

Further to the statement issued by the organising committee on 8 April (quoted in a previous response), and in my earler post (#826), According to Companies House web-site, one of the directors of Sheffield Marathon Limited resigned on 8 April 2014. A person by the same name is the Financial Accountant of Sheffield International Venues Limited.

 

So why did that director and member of the organising committee resign if investigations are still ongoing?

 

I was under the impression that many of the directors of Sheffield International Venues are Sheffield City Councillors.

[No User Name 10]

I was under the impression that many of the directors of Sheffield International Venues are Sheffield City Councillors.

 

And what does that have to do with the directors of Sheffield Marathon Ltd??

[Agent Orange 11]

Indeed. It is one thing to put in your terms and conditions that there will be no refunds, but that is subject to you providing the services specified. So it might hold water when a competitor doesn't show, or drops out etc, but it certainly doesn't allow someone to collect thousands of pounds for a service they fail to deliver. I think solicitors will be having a field day in the weeks to come.

 

---------- Post added 10-04-2014 at 15:25 ----------

 

 

I was under the impression that many of the directors of Sheffield International Venues are Sheffield City Councillors.

 

I highly doubt solicitors will be having the field day you described. Who in their right mind is going to go to the trouble of spending hundreds of pounds instructing a solicitor for a £27 return.

 

Here are the directors:

 

http://www.siventerprises.com/team