Run or Dye Review

The Run or Dye scam (created by Jake Ackerman con-artist along with his wife Amanda and his brother Mark Ackerman) has become public knowledge over the last few months. They cancel most events and try not to give refunds until news stations get involved. The events that they do end up having are very poorly thrown together without any of the advertised activities.

They scammed the Charity "Big Brothers Big Sisters" and you can the video HERE

Need a Refund? Just send a copy of this picture to your bank or credit card company, proving that they do in fact offer FULL REFUNDS.

Run or Dye will cancel almost all future events and the ones that they do end up having will be a disaster with no color. So make sure you get a refund for any event you attend that does not have EVERYTHING they promised it would, such as the EXACT size shirt, the correct number of bags, the proper length of race, color thrown at every "color station" and COLD water.

Need to contact them for a refund? Try Emily Faulkner emily@viralevents.com because marka@viralevents.com doesn't ever respond.

Mark has a lawyer named Rick Sorensen that seems to think it's morally okay to defend a con artists. 


Here are some run or dye reviews:

Run Or Dye event in Santa Rosa October 11,2014.
We paid extra to have our stuff mailed to us it never arrived! We arrived they did let us cut the line since we complained. I went with a friend 2 of my daughters & my son in law. I'm 60 & my friend is 61 so we walked my kids are 30-40 so they ran. When I saw the first color station I was shocked who was throwing the color no others but my 2 daughters & son in law! They said when they got to the station there was no one attending so they threw otherwise you just had to reach into a box & throw it on your self!! I use an app on my phone RunKeeper it maps my route it was 1.37 miles so even IF you chose to go around twice it was only 2.74 still not 3 miles!! I love "FUN RUNS" doing a Neon Dash is Sacramento on Nov 1st it's going to be AWESOME!!

Just finished the Santa Rosa ca,event.have to say it was awful. They had only 6 employees to register the the 2500 or more participants. Ran out of pins, shirts and only4 color stations. It was only a 1.5 mile race not a 5k. They ran out of color, at the stations we had to get it ourselves,not one volunteer to throw it at racers. Nothing going on after no throwing out of packets of dye.just really loud music. It looked to me that the fairgrounds couldn't get the company or participants out of there fast enough. It was better run and executed last year. Will never do this again. The dye packets were from the color festival not run or dye like last year.

I'm at Hanes City now picked up my packet which was a plastic shopping bag with one tattoo and one bag of color. THAT IS IT. No bracelets, no bag, just shitty. Very disappointed.

Update on Hanes City: the run was in a construction zone they tried to heard us all onto a tiny side walk, made it impossible to run. The water station was a joke, it wasn't manned and they had a kiddie pool of water with a few pieces of ice and about 10 packs of water stacked next to it. By the time most runners got to it we had to rip a warm water bottle out of the pack. Only 4 color stations and 3 of them are on the last half of the last mile. Made most of the run boring. The festival area lasted about 30 minutes and they packed up and left. Another water station same deal. No snacks. Don't pay for this run its a joke. The Color Run is 1000 times better.

-Yeah, for every city where their event hasn't been cancelled they have change the route because they never got the permit so they find a different stop where apparently they don't have to pay as much.

The Santa Rosa event was horrible! Check in was a joke, a woman was just handing out bibs to anyone standing in line, race started 30 min late, 2nd wave and there was NO DYE, nobody on the course throwing color - just a few empty boxes, kids were rolling around on the ground of the horse stables to try to get some color on their shirt (a health concern), the course was only 1 mile long, nothing at the finish line, no music, no large color throw - nothing. This was the worst event I have ever been to. The MC was no help, yelling at people to leave her alone. WORST EVENT EVER!

From Nottinghamshire England 🇬🇧
Absolutely pissed off with this event it just seems like a massive scam.. I want my £28 refunding with Laura Gourlay £28 refunding we have sent many emails regarding how unorganised this event is... I want a reply and will be reporting you to watchdog and trading standards

Read the Yelp Run or Dye Reviews Here

Viral Events told me they are shutting down, closing doors in 2 weeks time. We need to help everyone who hasn't been paid/refunded get their money now!
Hi, I'm a photographer from Oklahoma City. I was hired by Run or Dye/Viral Events to photograph a 5k run on July 26th 2014. I signed a contract with them to be paid via paypal and still have NOT received payment. I have sent several emails to info@viralevents.com with no response at all. I have been trying to contact anyone at viral events with no success.

Today I was able to track down some new information. I called viral events at 801-810-2905 but no one ever answers. I tried a dozen extension numbers and someone picked up the phone at extension #110. I don't remember his name but he told me the company is shutting its doors in 2 weeks. He also said no body comes into the office anymore. I asked him if he was getting paid to be at his desk and he said "I hope so."
He also told me to contact Ethan Aylett, Director of Media, but would only give me an email address. He also told me to contact the accounting department, but again, only an email address despite numerous times asking for a phone number.
...still waiting for a response from Run or Dye or Ethan Aylett.

Run or Dye steals money from charities that volunteer for their events. They promise them money and then never pay:

I would like to give a huge shout out to Crys Worley!
Cry is one of the charity victims of Run Or Dye! Last year she was able to raise $7,500 from the Run Or Dye event held for her charity A Skate, which she received her money last yr without any problems. This year she raised 15k that she is now fighting for from Run Or Dye. (This is another reason why fighting for those who are owed money from Run Or Dye is so important! It's not just the charities it's also EVERYONE who is owed their money!)


Jake Ackerman
Founder of Run or Dye
Founder of ZipSmart.com

Bruce Ackerman
email: backerman12@comcast.net
Ackerman Consulting
35 West 400 South
Providence, UT 84332
Phone: (435) 750-8963

Matt Ackerman
website: www.ackermanpictures.com
email: ackermanpictures@gmail.com
phone: 801-875-2451
www.facebook.com/AckermanPictures

Susan Ackerman
https://www.facebook.com/susan.ackerman.182

Cecily Ackerman
https://www.facebook.com/cecilyack?fref=ufi

Katie Langston
Communications Director for Viral Events
Owner of Ignition Marketing (www.salesablaze.com)
435.232.3325 (phone)
katie.langston (Skype)

Ethan Aylett
Director of Media for Viral Events
Co-owner of Paper Rock Pictures (www.paperrockpictures.com)
Producer/Editor at www.brideaccess.com
cell: 8018199571
email:

Nick Aylett (brother)
owner of Online Gun Depot, St. George, UT
cell: 435-313-2109