Fans in London paid for a Taylor Swift-themed race—instead got cardboard cutouts, no music and a banana

A Taylor Swift-themed 5K without Taylor Swift’s music. That’s the level of letdown Swifties felt when they showed up for what was supposed to be the most Taylor Swift-coded 5K ever—only to find themselves running in a pop-culture ghost town.

As per The Sun, a 5K race, proclaiming its allegiance to the "Swiftie" fandom, promised an immersive experience celebrating the pop icon.

But instead of a music-blasting spectacle, they got a whole lot of… silence, the sound of sneakers hitting the pavement, and collective realization sinking in: something had gone terribly wrong.

Apart from sparking widespread disappointment, it earned the less-than-desirable title of "the Fyre Festival of 5Ks."

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The Fyre Festival of 5Ks

The core issue was the glaring absence of the very element that defines Taylor Swift: her music.

Participants laced up their running shoes, anticipating a vibrant course pounding with Swift's anthems, only to be met with… nothing.

The event took place (or at least they pretended) at London’s Battersea Park.

The news outlet reports that it was supposed to be a £25-a-head. That’s around $31.

Speaking with The Sun, 35-year-old Louise Newlands stated:

“I think Taylor Swift would be appalled.”

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Cardboard cutouts: A substitute for substance?

Now, in an attempt to bring some T-Swift essence to the event, the organizers went all in on one particular decorative choice: cardboard cutouts.

Some lifeless, two-dimensional Taylors were staring vacantly into the distance like they, too, were questioning everything.

While the intention may have been to create photo opportunities and a visually engaging course, the execution fell flat.

Participants expressed feeling cheated, arguing that the cutouts were a poor substitute for genuine engagement.

Here’s the thing: You can’t just remove the defining feature of something and expect people to still be excited. It just doesn’t work.

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Goodie bags? More like bare-minimum bags

Advertisements hyped up the promise of Taylor-themed goodie bags, but runners found themselves with nothing more than a banana, an apple, and a bottle of water.

The Run Fanatics website had boasted about special-edition Swiftie race bibs, finisher’s medals, and themed goodie bags.

Likewise, Trip.com advertised that participants in the Swiftie 5K Run at Battersea Park would walk away with a commemorative race bib, finisher’s medal, and a Taylor-themed gift set.

Louise told The Sun:

“It's the kids I feel sorry for - they all looked so cold and wet and miserable.”

Another participant added:

“Everyone was miserable…It felt like they had exploited a loyal fan base.”

The organizers scrambled to explain the fiasco, citing a "last-minute supplier issue" as the reason the promised Taylor Swift-themed treat never made it into the goodie bags, as per the media outlet.

On the bright side (if you can call it that), they assured that all participants at least received a medal.

In an attempt to salvage their reputation, they have vowed to make future runs better by shipping race bibs in advance, reducing participant numbers, securing a venue where music can actually be played along the course, improving signage, and bringing in more staff.

A spokesperson for the event told The Sun:

“Overall, the feedback from our event has been overwhelmingly positive, and we’re thrilled that so many runners had a great experience.”

“However, we also acknowledge that some aspects could be improved.”

They added:

“We’ve learned that people’s experiences varied depending on their position in the registration queue and how far back they were from the start line, with some finding it harder to see and hear the lookalike warm-up.”