Ourea Events, the British race organizer behind several of the world’s most demanding multi-day ultras, has shut down with immediate effect, the company announced Thursday. All 2026 events are canceled, including the Northern Traverse — scheduled to start in just two weeks.
Event director Shane Ohly confirmed the closure on the company’s website and social media channels, saying the decision was “deeply painful” but necessary to avoid piling up further debt to runners, suppliers, and other creditors.
“This is a deeply painful moment for everyone involved with the business, including our participants, staff, partners, suppliers, volunteers, and the wider trail running community that has supported our events for the last 15 years,” Ohly wrote. “I am truly sorry that we have reached this point.”
What races are affected
The closure impacts four major events on the 2026 calendar.
The Northern Traverse, a 300-kilometer crossing of northern England set to begin March 28, is now off. So is the Cape Wrath Ultra, a 400-kilometer, eight-day race through the Scottish Highlands scheduled for May. The flagship Dragon’s Back Race — a six-day, 380-kilometer traverse of some of Scotland’s most rugged mountain terrain — and Skyline Scotland, planned for September, are also canceled.
For many runners, the Northern Traverse news hits hardest. With less than two weeks until the start, athletes had already taken time off work, booked travel, and spent months preparing.
What went wrong
Ohly pointed to a combination of factors that eroded the business over several years.
Ourea recorded a modest profit in 2019, but the COVID-19 pandemic brought racing to a halt for roughly 18 months, cutting off income entirely. The company carried that debt into a difficult recovery period.
Brexit compounded the damage. International runners had previously made up as much as 50 percent of entries at some races. After the UK left the European Union, that number dropped sharply. Then came the 2022 cost of living crisis, which pushed Ourea’s operating costs up by around 20 percent while entry fees couldn’t keep pace.
“With the current trend in entries for 2026, it became clear the financial situation would deteriorate further,” Ohly said.
What runners should do now
Runners who paid entry fees for 2026 events will be contacted “in due course,” the company said, though it offered no timeline or guarantees on refunds. Ourea is in discussions with professional advisers, and the process of winding down the business is ongoing.
The company has asked runners not to reach out directly. “No one will be able to respond,” the statement read.
Runners who paid by credit card may want to contact their card provider about a chargeback. Those who used other payment methods should monitor communications from Ourea or its advisers closely.
