Birch Challenge cancelled…
The Birch Challenge that should have been on today at Cannock Chase had to be cancelled on Sunday night. It’s one of my most typed words in the last 20 months but I was, and still am, gutted.
I’ve told all the runners obviously but thought I’d let the wider “Big Bear Universe” know a bit more detail behind it. If you’re not that fussed probably not worth reading on but thanks for the initial interest and I’ll see you at an event soon I hope!
My wife has tested positive for Covid (myself and our 2 children are negative somehow though!) and as such I couldn’t get the event on. The runners were told on Sunday night via email and I text them all yesterday to double check the message got through (a new thing for me and something I might use more). Every runner has been incredibly supportive of the decision and sent their best wishes on to Sophie. I find it very heart-warming although I shouldn’t be surprised knowing what a lovely bunch of people run in our events. Regardless, I feel really guilty for letting them down and spoiling their plans. I’m sorry to you all. We’ve opened up the, previously arranged but yet to be announced, Birch Challenge in March 2022 and transferred all effected runners to this event, offered them free transfers or full cash refunds. You’ve all stood by us so we’ll do right by you.
On the face of it, someone many of you may have never met being in bed sick might be a bit of a tangential reason for the event to be cancelled. If you’ve been to a Big Bear event before you’ll probably know that 99% of the day-to-day running of the company is done by me, Paul. I try to be as professional as I can be, hopefully giving the impression of a large team of executives working day and night but really it’s me at a computer in the loft! On event day Ann and Dave (my parents) and an awesome group of volunteers make the events run like clock work and my role is often relegated to chief chocolate mouse eater and bell ringer for the finish line. Every other bit of the business though is carried out by me. Of course all the good ideas are ones stolen from conversations with my wife that she definitely loves having and doesn’t get very bored of very quickly! More important are the number of bad ideas she has stopped before you’ve all seen them of course!!
However, Big Bear Events is no different to any other micro-company. 1 or 2 cogs make the whole thing move and there aren’t back up ones when disaster strikes. The people behind the scenes are just as vital to the ones that keep it running. With my wife confined to 1 room for the next 10 days no one can look after our small children and get them to school. In a pre-covid world she’d have dropped them at school and gone back to bed for the day. Or we’d take up the many offers of help to walk them to school that came in (thank you!). However, we can’t do that now. She couldn’t have got them ready in the morning, potentially passed on the covid and sent them to school with 30 other kids, it’s not fair or right.
It’s been an eye opener though. I’ll be spending the winter with a few of the regular volunteers to train them up so that the whole event can happen without me being present. I’m adamant to do everything I can to make this the one and only time this happens. Of course events may get cancelled due to dangerous weather and a whole host of other things but I hope not for this again.
I hadn’t planned on “announcing” any of this to those not directly involved in the event as I thought it best to not draw attention to bad news but I had a change of heart while out running. The people effected by the cancellation have been incredibly supportive and I think having a greater understanding of how things work can only be a good thing. Secrecy helps no one. It’s been a truly awful 20 months to run an events company. 2020 was meant to be Big Bear’s big year and 2021 hasn’t been loads better to be honest. The support and goodwill from the vast, vast majority of people has been outstanding and given me the fire and drive to be there in 2022 putting on the events people want, and some you didn’t even realise you wanted!
So sorry, and thank you.
Our next event will be the first Gato Sports Head Torch 10K event on 18th November.
And I can not wait.