When U.K.-based Ourea Events announced that it was closing its doors in March 2026 and canceling its stable of iconic races, including the 2026 Northern Traverse, Cape Wrath Ultra, Dragon’s Back Race, and Skyline Scotland, the ultrarunning community was shocked. Now, just over a month later, event company Ultra X has announced that it’s acquired both the Dragon’s Back Race and the Northern Traverse and plans to continue both events.
After an uncertain future, the Dragon’s Back Race appears to be back. Photo: No Limits Photography
When the events were suddenly canceled in March, those who had signed up faced significant financial losses. The standard entry fee for the Northern Traverse was £899 ($1,213), and the Dragon’s Back Race costs £1,899 ($2,562). While the 2026 Northern Traverse, originally slated for the end of March, didn’t run, Ultra X is transferring all 2026 entries to the 2027 race and will honor all existing entries into the 2026 Dragon’s Back Race, which is scheduled for September 7. Those with entries into the 2026 Cape Wrath Ultra will receive race credit for another Ultra X event.
The Northern Traverse and Dragon’s Back Race have earned a reputation as some of the toughest ultra events in the U.K. The Northern Traverse covers 300 kilometers over five days, traveling across England’s Lake District, and the Dragon’s Back Race covers 380 kilometers on mountainous terrain in Wales across six days. The events are known for their technical and unforgiving terrain.
Standard terrain in the Dragon’s Back Race. Photo: No Limits Photography
Ultra X, which already has 10 races on its 2026 event calendar, stretching from the U.K. to Finland to Jordan to South Africa, is committed to maintaining continuity with its newly acquired events. They plan to run both events separately from their existing races to maintain their specific characteristics. They’ve also hired Greg Mickelborough, the former Ourea Events operations director, and contracted with Shane Ohly, former Ourea Events director and CEO, to help ensure that the events operate as smoothly as possible and maintain the aspects that make them unique. In a press release, Ultra X co-founders Sam Heward and Jamie Sparks wrote: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome Dragon’s Back Race and Northern Traverse into the Ultra X family. Our priority now is to provide certainty for participants and to deliver these events in the way that people already love!”
This is perhaps the best-case scenario for Ohly, who had expressed hope that the events could continue under new ownership. He’d stated in a press release in March that by closing the company then, after several years of trying to recover from the financial implications of event cancellations due to COVID-19, they could “maximise the likelihood that the events will continue under a different structure or ownership.” The hope came to fruition, and Ohly now says, “I’m very pleased that Ultra X has secured the future of Dragon’s Back Race and Northern Traverse, an organisation that shares a strong commitment to operational excellence, participant experience, and attention to detail. It is also very encouraging that Ultra X will be honouring existing entries. I’m confident this represents an exciting new chapter for both events.”
The technical terrain of the Dragon’s Back Race. Photo: No Limits Photography
