I bought two tickets for Tough Mudder Hunter Valley 2025. The event was cancelled with only one week’s notice so I couldn’t get a refund for the flights. Tough Mudder refused to refund the tickets and only offered a rollover to a rescheduled event in November, which I was not able to attend. Since then, it has said I can rollover to an event in 2026 or 2027, including other events under the Spartan group, but there are no Tough Mudder events scheduled in New South Wales. I just want my money back. – Noelle, Tasmania
Event cancellations or changes are a fairly fraught consumer space, as these are generally unpredictable and can really disrupt people’s lives and expectations. But the Australian Consumer Law is clear about your entitlements.
In some cases, you will be entitled to a cut-and-dry refund. In others, the ACL defers to the provider’s terms and conditions. It all hinges on the reason why the event was changed or cancelled.
When you buy tickets to an event of any kind, the ACL’s consumer rights and guarantees apply, and they cannot be replaced by an organiser’s terms and conditions. If an event is cancelled or “significantly changed”, your rights under the ACL will depend on the reason for cancellation or change, and the nature of the change.
If, for instance, an event is cancelled or there is a major change made at the organiser’s discretion, you will generally be entitled to a full refund. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission gives examples such as an organiser deciding to move the event to another city, or a headline act being removed or changed.
In cases like these you may even be able to claim compensation for losses related to the cancellation or change, including travel and accommodation.
But if the event is cancelled or changed for reasons beyond the organiser’s control, the ACL can’t help you. Events beyond the organiser’s control include government directives such as Covid-19 lockdowns or other restrictive public safety measures, and natural disasters.
In these situations, what you’re entitled to depends on the ticket’s terms and conditions.
A quick Google search shows that Tough Mudder did indeed postpone an event in the Hunter Valley in September 2025. The event was postponed due to flooding caused by extreme weather conditions, which it documented on its Facebook page. That event was rescheduled to November 2025 and all participants were offered the option of transferring their ticket to this event or any other Tough Mudder event in 2026.
This means the postponement was due to circumstances outside the organiser’s control. In which case, the organiser does not have to give you a refund under the ACL.
That said, some ticket sellers will offer refunds for events outside their control, so it’s worthwhile checking the terms and conditions. Unfortunately, Tough Mudder’s policy, which it says customers agreed to at the time of purchase, is to transfer your ticket to a rescheduled event or defer your ticket to another Tough Mudder event, including Spartan races.
In your case, you can try to use this to make a case for Tough Mudder to issue a good faith refund, given there are no Tough Mudder events now scheduled in NSW for 2026 or 2027. Put this in writing to Tough Mudder and, if you have a phone number from your previous interactions with it – there doesn’t appear to be one on its website – follow up with a phone call.
It’s also worth contacting NSW Fair Trading which will be able to give you further advice or help you negotiate with the event organiser.
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The reader’s letter has been edited for clarity.
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In a statement, Tough Mudder said “as a gesture of goodwill”, the company has provided affected customers with “extended credit validity” to transfer their registration to future Tough Mudder and Spartan events. The company also said event scheduling is subject to operational, safety and environmental factors, and that while it endeavours “to maintain consistency in event locations, this is not always possible year-to-year”.
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