In a video posted to Facebook on July 29, 2026, former Ragnar Trail announcer Rich Nicholes said he believed Ragnar still owed him more than $13,000 as of January 2025 for work performed during the 2024 season.

Nicholes provided Hybrid Fitness Media with a document he said was his 2024 announcer agreement, covering nine Ragnar Trail races. According to the agreement, invoices were due in full within 60 days of receipt. An addendum to the document states that unpaid invoices would incur a 15% penalty beginning on the 61st day, followed by additional 15% late fees every 15 days until payment was made. It is unclear whether Ragnar disputes the invoices or the applicability of these terms.

Nicholes said he had received payment related to seven races by January 2025, though he said some of those payments were incomplete. He said he is reviewing his invoices and payment records to determine the exact current balance and identify every outstanding race.

Nicholes said he does not view his situation as the story by itself. He said he is personally aware of other contractors who have been made to wait for payment while covering their own expenses. He also said he had heard, though could not confirm firsthand, that some volunteers have not been reimbursed for costs incurred on Ragnar’s behalf.

We spoke with another vendor, who asked to remain anonymous because the company still owes them money, described a similar pattern of delayed payments. The vendor said payment problems began after FitLab acquired Ragnar and have continued for roughly 2-3 years.

Additional Public Vendor Complaints

Hybrid Fitness Media identified three public posts and reviews from vendors alleging payment issues involving Ragnar. HFM reached out to Smith, Schuepbach, and Nkong for comment; none had responded as of publication.

In a January 30, 2025, review on Ragnar’s public Facebook page, Chris Smith wrote that Ragnar had used his hotel for a city event but that payment for the rooms “didn’t go through.” Smith wrote that Ragnar’s accounting department had not returned phone calls or emails and that five months had passed since the event.

In a May 16, 2025, review on Ragnar’s public Facebook page, Kristina Schuepbach wrote that Ragnar had used her company, Little John’s Portable Toilets, and had not paid the remaining balance. She did not specify the amount owed.

In a March 20, 2026, post in the North Texas Food Trucks Facebook group, Oyo Nkong wrote that his food-truck business had been contracted to feed Ragnar staff during a three-day North Texas relay event held the previous year. Nkong wrote that the invoice was to be paid after the event and that, 10 months later, the business was still owed $2,700.

Both the Smith and Schuepbach reviews remained visible on Ragnar’s public Facebook page as of publication..

Hybrid Fitness Media reached out to Smith, Schueppbach, and Nkong for comment; none had responded as of publication.

Ragnar Trail Appalachians Suddenly Cancelled

Ragnar Trail Appalachians, scheduled at Big Bear Lake Camplands in Bruceton Mills, West Virginia, was canceled about one week before race weekend.

Mark Schooley, operations manager at Big Bear Lake Camplands, told Hybrid Fitness Media that Ragnar informed the venue of the cancellation only hours before the company publicly notified team captains.

Schooley declined to discuss the agreement’s specific terms but said Ragnar “were not abiding to the contract.” He did not specify which contract terms he believed were violated.

According to Schooley, Big Bear Lake Camplands had hosted the event for approximately 15 years. He said the race typically brought in a couple thousand participants.

Schooley said the venue had worked successfully with Ragnar in previous years, but that staff noticed potential warning signs before the cancellation, including supplies not arriving on the schedule they normally would ahead of race weekend. He said the venue had limited its financial exposure. He also said he had heard secondhand of similar payment concerns at other venues, though he did not name them or provide specifics.

In an email to team captains, Ragnar said it canceled the event “after exhausting every available option,” citing the need to protect “the experience and safety of our runners.” The email did not identify a more specific reason for the cancellation. It also did not address Schooley’s characterization of a contract dispute or the payment concerns raised elsewhere in this story.

Hybrid Fitness Media contacted FitLab CEO Brian Kirkbride via LinkedIn, requesting an interview and noting that HFM had heard concerns from vendors about nonpayment. Kirkbride had not responded as of publication.