It is with the greatest disappointment and sadness that we must announce that the 2023 edition of Thunder Run is to be postponed. All entry fees paid for the 2023 event (including booking fees) will be refunded in the coming days.
We are all too aware of the ongoing effects of the cost-of-living crisis and the events industry has certainly felt the impact of this with a great number of events seeing substantially lower entries than usual, events being cancelled and a number of organising companies going out of business altogether. Unfortunately, we find ourselves in the same boat with much lower entry numbers than usual at a time where event production costs keep on increasing far above the rate of general inflation. It is too early for us to know whether people’s spending habits are changing, and they are leaving entering events until the last minute, or whether events are simply something that’s being cut back on or cut out of people’s budgets completely. Either way, it is too big a financial risk for us to go ahead with things as they are. At present, if we were to proceed with TR24 as planned in 2023 we would be looking down the barrel of a very significant loss.
The decision to postpone has not been taken lightly. TR24 is much more to us than just a race, or a part of our livelihoods. The three of us have lived and breathed Thunder Run for the last 15 year and we have spent many hours exploring all the options for how to make everything add up in 2023 but to no avail.
So, what does this mean going forward?... Thunder Run is a special event that has allowed us to meet so many incredible and inspirational people, so we do not intend this to be the end of the TR24 story at all. It’s just another storm to weather (& let’s face it, we’re used to getting through all sorts of weather at Thunder Run!). We will be looking at how the event can be re-structured and return with a bang in 2024, so we can start a new chapter and bring the wonderful TR24 community back together once more.
In the meantime, as previously mentioned, we will be issuing refunds to all those that have paid for 2023 event entries in the coming days. Refunds will be issued back to the original payment cards. Deferred entries that have been redeemed will be issued with a credit note for their original value when entries open for the next Thunder Run event.
Until next time,
Alex, Patrick & Chris
