Run or Dye Event Cancelled Under Cloud of Suspicion

The Run or Dye event scheduled for Ventura this Saturday, November 8, will not happen.

Many serious questions are being raised about Viral Events the company that organizes the Run or Dye event.

Viral Events advertised that the Ventura run was scheduled to happen at the KOA Ranch in Santa Paula, but NewsChannel 3 has learned the people who run the KOA facility didn’t know anything about it.

Jake Ackerman, owner of Viral Events, confirmed in an email late Thursday afternoon that the Ventura event is cancelled. Ackerman explained that about 400 participants signed up for the run and he is offering full refunds to anyone who wants one or he’s offering tickets to the Los Angeles Run or Dye event the next day on Sunday, November 9.

NewsChannel 3 has learned that Ackerman and Viral Events owes at least one Santa Barbara non-profit organization more than $8,000 for helping with the Run or Dye event that was held in February.

That run reportedly had 4,000 runners.

We also found numerous websites and internet postings from other people and organizations complaining that Viral Events owes them money too.