Trail runners have been left disappointed after the company behind several of the country’s most iconic ultra races announced it has ceased trading, with events including the Northern Traverse and the Cape Wrath Ultra now unable to go ahead in 2026 under the current organisation.

In a statement, Shane Ohly, founder of Ourea Events, said the decision had been made with deep regret following years of financial difficulty. The company has organised some of the UK’s best known multi day and ultra distance trail races, including the Dragon’s Back Race, Skyline Scotland and the Northern Traverse series, which also includes the Lakes, Dales and Moors Traverse events.

Ohly explained: "The decision to cease trading now was taken to give the best possible chance for the events to continue under a different structure or ownership."

The news comes as a particular shock to runners preparing for the 300K Northern Traverse, which was scheduled to start at St Bees in Cumbria and finish in Whitby, North Yorkshire on 28 March, just weeks away.

Despite the disappointment felt by many runners who had already made travel plans and paid entry fees, much of the reaction from the trail running community has been supportive of Ohly and his team. Sarah Howell said it was a huge loss for the ultra running community and praised the organisers for the quality of their events. She said she had been privileged to volunteer at some races and had seen first hand how dedicated the team behind them were.

For many runners across the north of England and Scotland, the hope now is that the races themselves can survive in some form, preserving events that have become fixtures of the UK ultra running calendar over the past 15 years.

If you'd like to know more, visit the Ourea Events website.

Image: Ourea Events Facebook