Steven Spitz says he lives up to his company's namesake.
“I would describe myself as a bad a**, because a bad a** gets things done,” he says.
His business, Bad A** Running Company, wanted to do a big time event at the Yamato Scrub trail in Boca - calling it the ‘Bad A** Trail Race’
“I was giving 20% of the race profits back to the actual park," he says.
So, Steven turned in his permit to Palm Beach County, and things were going well - until he submitted his logo
“They were like ‘wait. I didn't realize it was really like 'bad a**’, and I was like ‘Yeah, that's the name of my company!’"
In a series of back and forth emails, the County Environmental Resources Department shut down the idea, telling Steven the name could be offensive to the public.
I contacted a representative with the department, who tells me the issue was with the banners and advertising for the event.
That representative telling me the term bad a** was “Inconsistent with the peaceful enjoyment of natural areas.”
“I tried to get Big Bad Trail Race just merely sponsored by Bad A** Running Company, and they weren't going for it," Steven says.
He says he's disappointed with the response, but it's a sign of the times.
His race may be off in Palm Beach County, but he says his Bad A** company isn't going anywhere.
“What I think I'm trying to do is create some good in the community...get people off the couch, get them healthier. Anyone that goes to do something past what they can do is a bad a**. So you run a marathon - you're a bad a**
Steven says the race may be off in Palm Beach County, but Broward County could be a possibility.
He says he is in talks with Broward County Parks to hold his Bad A** Trail Race at Quiet Waters Park.
Officials there, Steven says, don’t have an issue with the name of the event.
