Run, Chris Nicholas, Run!

[XLFD]

Most of us know Chris Nicholas as a local radio personality fronting WMOM over most of the last decade and many of us also know about his initiative starting in 2024 to manage the Ludington Gus Macker event after the chamber of commerce's withdrawal.  He has had his critics in both endeavors regarding his actions, personality, and overall character, but until this year, he has generally had good reviews about his 17-year role as a race director for the North Country Trail Run, an annual long-distance cross-country shindig in the Manistee Forest near Wellston.  

The race has recently attracted up to 1600 people and more to run half-marathons, marathons, 50 kilometer, and 50 mile ultra marathons through the forest trails, offering up plenty of race-based paraphernalia each year for runners wanting to purchase mementos for their efforts.  Aggressive pre-registration for the next year's run typically begins following the run, allowing them to retain participants from year to year.  Chris will often show up and record the occasion for posterity, even back before he was a local radio personality, as he did in the picture below from 2013.

Like many other big events happening in small places, the run was cancelled in 2020 due to public health concerns, but the race has otherwise gone on in every year-- until this one.  Citing health concerns of his own, Chris Nicholas cancelled the 2026 run despite all of the hundreds of pre-registrations and pre-orders of 2026 race paraphernalia, and all of the other preparations made by would-be participants coming from all parts of the country (they regularly have runners from40 states represented, among a few international guests), among those motel reservations and time-off from work.  

This isn't the first scare.  Last year, Chris was also suffering from some health issues, and the run was nearly cancelled.  Rather than mentor others to manage the event on what to do in his place this year if those health ailments continued, he decided not to and cancelled the run abruptly two weeks before the event.   They explain it "was an extremely difficult decision and was made due to health circumstances affecting the race director and the ability to safely and successfully prepare for and execute the event at the level our runners have come to expect... Refunds will not be available".

While they do allow 2026 registration costs to apply for a 2027 registration and suggest a way to recoup some costs by forging deals with people on the waiting list, they offer little details for coordinating this.  This has left some people upset and taking out their frustrations on social media.

Other runs/races have offered themselves up as alternatives for those who have set their time aside, these can be found on the Michigan Trail Runners site, along with some critiques of this cancellation.  One of these was written by a 75 year old man who wished to remain anonymous that is worth reposting:

"Over the years I have noticed Chris’s need to be front and center of absolutely everything that went on at the race. Also been the recipient of all his email promises to do better, be more accessible and responsive, and the constant adding of perks to each race but then some not delivered. Tons of people have given their time to get all of the amenities out before and after race day… setting out the direction flags, stocking and supporting the aid stations, preparing awards, serving food… list goes on. I also volunteered so I interacted with him early on. Each year I saw him controlling every aspect and the year he had to take each awards group picture himself, making us wait while he kept running back to announce another runner in, was a real eye opener for me. I was stubborn enough to hold off leaving for 45 min in order to get my award. The Covid year race was cancelled. Another year a promise was made to send out the missing shirts or caps. Then a promise to deliver to a store for pick up. Then a promise to communicate on a monthly basis. Chris always explained he was sick and needed time to catch up.
Please don’t lecture the runners about “extending grace”. We have offered our grace and compassion to Chris for many years. After giving Chris our grace once again, let’s ask where the money went. Is all the promised swag ordered and in boxes waiting for delivery? The medals surely had to be ordered months ago. The volunteer teams have been assigned. Food should be ordered and scheduled. Age group awards should be ready.
Chris’s emotional problems have been vivid for years. And now he chooses to write and explain “everything” HE has been going through? Did his work crew not step up? Did his doctor not notice these signs earlier? Nearly all 1500+ runners have paid travel expense (airfare, lodging, time off). This is after they paid the registration fees. I won’t argue about money. I think we all have paid for cancelled weather races. But year after year with NCTR it’s been a wait and see what the RD will promise and change. I want to see his doctor step in and put Chris in a facility that can monitor and help him. He cannot fix himself. And would someone please step up and get the race back on? I will volunteer my time. I also realize this is only possible if the money has already been used to pay for what was ordered. If not, an audit needs to be done. My prayers are with Chris getting the help he desperately requires.
Life is so worth living. Finding joy in every day moments. Imagining a healthy future. I believe in a God who cares for each and every one of us and wants us to be happy and healthy.
I’ll get over my initial anger, disappointment, frustration today or tomorrow. And if the race is moved to next year, I hope a healthy Chris is welcoming us all at the finish line.
UPDATE: After doing some investigating, I’m told Chris runs/owns 102.7WMOM. Check out their FB page. Chris is seen reporting from the fair in front of the carousel on August 12. The same day he sent us an email requesting our grace. We got screwed."

These, and many of the replies, are asking the right questions, as it seems something fishy is going on that requires better answers from Chris Nicholas.  His departure from the Ludington studio of WMOM without warning, allegations that he took advantage of Dr. Reimer during that first year he managed the Gus Macker, a lawsuit from the prior owner of WMOM claiming many thousands were owed to him from contractual obligations, and many other claims against him have surfaced over the years, and while we hope the best for his mental and physical well-being, we cannot help but think this is another of those instances where other people got screwed over by him.  This is a person who will tell you one thing and make it sound believable, then not come through.  

But we would be remiss by not including Chris Nicholas' defense of his actions this year.  We intercepted a personal message he has been sending out to those that apparently objected to his calling the year's run off without much explanation.  He provides a lot more context in his own defense, making one believe that he is going through a very difficult time.  If one didn't know his history, it sounds rather credible. 

But like the anonymous poster above, one might look past the crafted facade for a deeper truth.  This letter to a prospective runner who was upset will likely be a form letter made to look personal, as he litters the name of the complainer throughout it.  We have left the letter unchanged except for leaving off that name personalization, read it and consider whether you think it is sincere:

"I think I have written this email three or four times at this point, because it is the most difficult message I will probably ever send to the North Country Trail Runner Family in the 17 years of organizing this event.

You may have noticed that my communication has declined over the past few years, and this year is the worst it has ever been. It is because I have been dealing with multiple health issues that have compounded to bring me to the point that I need to go into the hospital and therapy. I thought I could turn things around by myself over the past couple of months and years, but the depression and suicidal thoughts have overwhelmed my ability to figure out the appropriate path.

The worst part is that this has affected you over the years, particularly this year with my decision to cancel the 2026 North Country Trail Run today.

Just two days ago, I was again in a very dark place and struggling with thoughts of ending my life. After sitting at the end of the pier for a while, I stood up, walked back to my vehicle, and decided to reach out to my doctor. Yesterday was spent working out some sort of path that does not pull me back into those dark places. Part of that involves partial inpatient treatment and therapy and my doctor is working on the best approach with affordable medications for the pain from aggressive psoriatic arthritis and diabetes that has 24 hours of joint pain, neuropathy and nearly the inability to walk all the time if not only a few feet. I have wished for the psoriasis to be on any other place on my body, but in fact, it has effected 90% of the bottoms of both feet.

Now, I fully understand that some of the North Country Runner Family will be upset about my decision to cancel this year's race, and I am hoping most will be understanding. But I understand a few things and will explain as much as I can below.

First, I am not the race director I was when this event began, and I want that person back. For me and for you.

Depression and chronic pain have changed how I respond to people and situations. I have become more negative and reactive when I should have been supportive, patient, and understanding. There have been times when my pain and frustration caused me to respond in ways I never should have, and I am truly sorry for that. Those are not the qualities I want to bring to the North Country Trail Runner Family, and I am hopeful that treatment and therapy will help me find my way back to the person and race director I know I can be.

The physical and mental exhaustion of living with daily pain has also made it increasingly difficult to concentrate and accomplish even ordinary tasks. I find myself zoning out more often and struggling to stay focused after spending so much of my energy simply managing the pain and the things I feel I am no longer able to do.

I have to be honest about what that means for the race. Course marking, race preparation, and execution require a level of focus, consistency, and physical ability that I cannot reliably provide right now. With treatment and hospitalization also ahead of me, trying to push through and hope I can somehow make it work would not be fair to the runners, volunteers, or the event itself.

I have spent 17 years caring deeply about this race, and the last thing I want to do is allow my current circumstances to compromise something that means so much to all of us.

I also understand that canceling this year's race is disappointing. It disrupts your training, your plans, and the weekend that many of you look forward to as a gathering of family and friends. I don't take that lightly, and I am truly sorry for the impact this decision has had on you.

What I am asking is that you allow me the opportunity to use this next year to get better and to rebuild the race in a healthier way. By deferring everyone's entry to 2027, I can take the time I need for treatment and therapy while also building a team around the event so that I am no longer trying to carry everything myself.

I have already accepted help from someone who will take over much of our communication, including the social media channels. That is a big step for me because, for nearly 17 years, I have tried to organize this race almost entirely on my own. I have finally had to accept that trying to do everything is not sustainable nor healthy.

In some ways, I am excited about what this could mean for the future. I want to experience what it is like to be part of a group of leaders who can share the responsibility, bring their own ideas and strengths to the event, and help me build something even better. I want to be able to focus on being the race director rather than spending every waking moment trying to manage every detail, running around all week, and barely making it through the two days of the race. I want to stand there at the starting line and look in your eyes and see excitement, not think, how much negativity have they experienced by me and from what they may have head and read about the race, because of my actions.

So I ask of you just two things...
First, please give me the opportunity to become a better race director by allowing your entry to be deferred to 2027 (or even into 2028). I need this year to put myself in the hands of the professionals helping me, accept support from others, and begin rebuilding myself and the race in a healthier way. I know that trying to continue while struggling with depression, physical pain, and thoughts of suicide would not give you the North Country Trail Run experience you deserve.

Second, I ask for a little grace in how we communicate with one another during this time. I understand that people may be frustrated, disappointed, or angry, and I understand why. You have every right to feel those things. At the same time, I am working through a very difficult period in my life, and negative or hurtful comments can be especially difficult for me to process right now. I am not asking anyone to hide their feelings or pretend that this decision hasn't affected them. I am simply asking that, when possible, we remember that there is a person on the other side of the decision who is trying very hard to get better.

In short, I am canceling the 2026 North Country Trail Run because my physical and mental health have reached a point where I cannot safely or responsibly give you the race experience you deserve. I need to step away, enter treatment and therapy, get my health under control, and finally accept help from others rather than continuing to believe I can carry this race by myself. Your entry will be deferred to 2027, or 2028 if needed, and I am committed to using this time not only to get better personally, but to build a team around North Country so this race can return stronger, healthier, and no longer dependent on one person trying to do everything."

What do you think?  Is Chris Nicholas facing some sort of money crunch and choosing to take advantage of all of those runners to consolidate or is he worthy of our compassion because he's going through a difficult time of physical and mental suffering?

[C T]

Thank you for posting this article. I’m registered for the NCTR and would like a refund but believe more and more this is all a sham and our entry fees were spent elsewhere. Maybe we should all have an equity stake in WMOM?

[XLFD]

I've been following some of the discussions at the various Michigan trail racing sites and there are a lot of folks looking in on WMOM's social media page to see Chris Nicholas look remarkably healthy over this last week in the field, so to speak.  Chris had a reputation around these parts, right before he pulled out of his Ludington studio a couple years ago to go to one operating out of Grand Rapids, of unscrupulous business practices. 

One partially-substantiated rumor I heard around here was that when he and Dr. Andrew Riemer did a very good act of keeping the Ludington Gus Macker Basketball Tournament continue running, Riemer was tapped for financing the enterprise, while Chris was able to just boost his own ego and pocketbook from it.