I thought we could do an “interesting people in running” series on the web site, well this is the first attempt. 

Shane Ohly — Founder of Ourea Events

I first heard about the collapse of Ourea Events through fellow ARR member Andy Smith, who had been training for the Northern Traverse when the company went under in March 2026 — leaving runners out of pocket and without a race. Hearing about this prompted me to find out more. Around the same time, Simon Bennett shared a podcast to the Ackworth group which shed light on just how complicated and demanding it is to organise events of this scale. You can listen to it here. Between the two, I found myself genuinely curious about the company and, in particular, the man behind it: Shane Ohly.

Who is Shane Ohly?

Shane Ohly is the founder of Ourea Events, a company he built over fifteen years into one of the most respected organisers of multi-day mountain running events in the UK. His portfolio of races — including the Dragon’s Back Race, Cape Wrath Ultra, Northern Traverse and Skyline Scotland — attracted thousands of participants from around the world and earned a global reputation for quality and ambition. In March 2026, Ohly announced that Ourea Events had ceased trading, citing a combination of COVID-19 debt, the impact of Brexit on international entries, and declining registration numbers for 2026. It marked the end of a significant chapter in British mountain running.

Background

Shane Ohly began his outdoor career not as a runner but as a climber. During the 1990s he developed a reputation for bold ascents, including many first ascents, specialising in free solo climbing — scaling rock faces without ropes — and climbed professionally through product endorsement and sponsorship. It was an uncompromising introduction to the outdoors, and one that shaped his approach to everything that followed.

He eventually made the transition to mountain running and went on to compete at elite level. He holds the record for the fastest unsupported round of the Lake District Classic Rock Routes, and has also been a successful orienteer, winning the OMM Elite class three times alongside his Ourea business partner Duncan. His approach to mountain navigation — combining traditional map and compass skills with orienteering technique — became a defining characteristic of the events he later created, many of which required participants to navigate without GPS.

Ohly is a qualified Mountain Leader and Winter Mountain Leader. He and his wife Heather, also a qualified Mountain Leader, offer guiding and navigation services to individuals and small groups from beginner to elite level, based primarily in the Lake District. He is also a long-standing member of the Kendal Mountain Rescue Team, holding senior roles within the organisation for over a decade — a commitment that goes well beyond the commercial side of his life in the mountains.

In August 2024 he completed the entire Dragon’s Back Race route in one continuous unsupported effort, finishing in 102 hours and 33 minutes. Running the full spine of Wales solo, through multiple nights without sleep, on the course he had created and directed for years, it was a statement of just how deeply embedded he is in the world he built around him.

Ourea Events

Ourea Events Limited was incorporated in May 2011. The company took its name from Greek mythology — the Ourea are the primordial deities who personify the mountains. Over the following fifteen years it grew to organise some of the most demanding multi-day races in the UK:

• Dragon’s Back Race — a multi-day self-navigation race along the spine of Wales using map and compass
• Cape Wrath Ultra — 400 kilometres across the Scottish Highlands completed over eight days
• Northern Traverse — 300 kilometres across northern England over five days, with associated Lakes, Dales and Moors Traverse events
• Skyline Scotland — a series of mountain races in Glencoe, attracting international elite runners including Kilian Jornet, Jasmin Paris and Emelie Forsberg

At its peak, international participation reached as high as 50% at some events. Notable participants over the years included Steve Birkinshaw, former Wainwrights round record holder, and Jasmin Paris, the first woman to finish the Barkley Marathons. Ourea Events was widely regarded as the gold standard operator in its sector.

The Collapse

Ourea Events was profitable before COVID-19, but the pandemic caused an 18-month shutdown during which all income ceased. The company was ineligible for government grants, leaving it with substantial debt. Brexit then reduced international entries sharply, and the cost-of-living crisis from 2022 pushed operating costs up by around 20% while entry fees lagged behind. Ohly worked with financial advisers and sought investors throughout this period, but by early 2026 falling entry numbers made the outlook clear.

On 12th March 2026 he announced the company had ceased trading, cancelling all 2026 events including the Northern Traverse, which was just two weeks away. He wrote the statement personally, apologised to all those affected, and expressed hope that the events could be taken on by a new operator. Speaking to the press shortly afterwards he said: “To say that I’m personally gutted is an understatement.”

Further Reading and Links

Shane Ohly’s Personal Website

• shaneohly.com/about — Shane’s own biography, covering his climbing background, running career and guiding services
• shaneohly.com/guiding — Details of mountain leadership and guiding services offered by Shane and Heather Ohly

The Closure Announcement

• oureaevents.com — Official Statement — Shane Ohly’s full personal statement announcing the closure, written in his own words

In-Depth Articles

• Ian Corless — Ourea Events Cease Trading: A Sad Day — A personal and wide-ranging reflection on what Ourea meant to British mountain running, by a respected voice in the sport
• Ian Corless — When the Trail Ends: Ourea Events — A follow-up piece looking more closely at the commercial and practical implications of the closure
• iRunFar — Ourea Events Closes Doors, Cancels 2026 Events — An international perspective on the significance of the closure
• Live For The Outdoors — Ourea Events Cease Trading — Includes direct quotes from a phone conversation with Ohly following the announcement
• Run247 — Ourea Events Cease Trading — News report covering the events affected and community reaction

Podcasts and Video

• YouTube — The Realities of Organising Ultra Running Events — Shared to the ARR group by Simon Bennett. A fascinating listen on the challenges of putting on events of this scale.
• Tea & Trails Podcast — Shane Ohly: Dragon’s Back FKT (September 2024) — A two-hour interview with Shane about his solo completion of the Dragon’s Back route. An excellent insight into his character and passion for the mountains. Also available on Spotify.

Article researched and written for Ackworth Road Runners, March 2026.