The north road racing scene has been dealt a severe blow with the decision to call a halt to the Moray marathon, half marathon and 10km.
The organising committee has decided to disband after failing to attract the new blood it felt was needed to sustain the Elgin event which has grown in popularity over its 32-year history.
Nicky Nash, who has been involved with the Moray races for more than 20 years, explained why the decision has been taken.
She said: “At the annual meeting in November a number of committee members indicated they wanted to stand down because they have been involved for so many years and wanted to hand over to others.
“We felt that new people from the local running community could be encouraged to become involved.
“We contacted all the local running groups and clubs in a bid to attract members on to the committee and a meeting was set up to take things forward.
“Just one new person turned up, so the committee decided the only option, unfortunately, was to wind things up. It is really disappointing because we all love the event but it has been getting harder and harder as there are so many extra issues which need to be done nowadays to ensure the races are organised in a safe and successful manner.
“The committee decided to bow out on a high, knowing that the event has been successful.”
Edinburgh athlete Kate Jenkins has a strong affection for the event, having won the women’s marathon 14 times over the past 17 years and she is disappointed by the news.