Escape Fitness collapses into administration after 25 years

Escape Fitness Limited, one of the UK's most recognisable commercial gym equipment suppliers, has collapsed into administration after nearly three decades in business. Scott Bevan and Simon Chandler of Forvis Mazars were appointed joint administrators, with court filings indicating 27 April 2026 as the operative date — though Morrish Solicitors reported the administration as formally entered on 5 May 2026, a discrepancy that may reflect the date the London Gazette notice was published rather than the court appointment itself. Total Gym Gear has sought clarification directly from Forvis Mazars on the precise operative date.

The appointment was made in the High Court of Justice, Business and Property Courts in Birmingham, Insolvency and Companies List, under court number CR-2026-BHM-000185. The company's principal trading address is 11–14 Tresham Road, Orton Southgate, Peterborough, with its registered office now listed care of Forvis Mazars at 30 Old Bailey, London.

A family business built over 28 years

Escape Fitness was founded in 1998 by engineer Richard Januszek and his son Matthew, starting out — as the story goes — in a garage gym. The company sold its first product, a range of dumbbells, that same year, and officially incorporated as Escape Fitness Limited on 14 May 2001. By 2002 it had already secured Reebok as a major international client. By 2003, according to the company's own account, it was supplying more than 70 per cent of free weights sold in the UK. Subsidiaries in Poland and Germany followed in the mid-2000s.

By the time of its collapse, Escape Fitness supplied functional training equipment, facility design services and education to commercial gyms and performance centres in more than 80 countries. Its client list read like a who's who of the global fitness industry: Gold's Gym, Equinox, Fitness First, Virgin Active, David Lloyd Clubs, 1Rebel, 24 Hour Fitness, Anytime Fitness, Marriott and Jatomi were all listed customers.

The finances: a two-year gap in the record

The last publicly available accounts cover the year ending 31 December 2023. They make for mixed reading. Consolidated group turnover fell sharply — by around 23 per cent — from £19.8 million to £15.3 million. Yet operating profit actually rose, from approximately £111,000 to £440,000, and group net assets stood at £641,523. On the face of it, the business was leaner but still profitable at the operating level.

The fuller picture is harder to read. The parent company's balance sheet showed total liabilities of £6.24 million. Companies House records also reveal nine registered charges against Escape Fitness Limited, six of which remain outstanding — including charges filed in March and April 2023 with lenders including Barclays Bank PLC, Reward Finance Group Limited and Cynergy Business Finance Limited. Fixed and floating security had already been granted over the company's property and asset base, meaning the UK parent was carrying significant encumbrances well before its eventual collapse.

Crucially, no later accounts were ever filed. The company extended its next accounting period to 30 June 2025, but those results were never made public before the administration, leaving a gap of more than two years in the financial record. What happened to revenues, margins and cash in 2024 and into 2025 remains unknown.

The US sale — two months before the UK collapse

The timeline raises uncomfortable questions. On 19 February 2026 — just over two months before the UK entity entered administration — the American arm of Escape Fitness was acquired by Curt and Tammy Tambornino, whose portfolio includes Dynamic Fitness and Strength, Dynamic Fabrication and Finishing, and Exerfly. Co-founder Matthew Januszek retained a shareholding in the new operating entity, Escape HoldCo, and was appointed its President.

The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed — not the sale price, not which assets and liabilities transferred, and not whether any consideration was paid in cash, shares or a combination of both.

At the time, public messaging was upbeat. Matthew Januszek was quoted saying:

"This partnership represents an exciting new chapter for Escape Fitness USA. Beyond the combined capabilities, what stands out most are our shared values around quality, innovation, and long-term thinking — and the fact that both organisations are family-founded and family-led by a husband-and-wife team."

The announcement stated that the UK parent would continue independently, remaining responsible for international markets outside the Americas. Within weeks, that plan had unravelled. No verified public statement from Januszek or Forvis Mazars addressing the UK collapse has been made available.

Job losses and what comes next

Morrish Solicitors confirmed they were in contact with affected employees, who confirmed that redundancies were made on 27 April 2026. The exact number of staff made redundant has not been officially disclosed. The administrators filed their proposals at Companies House on 25 June, with the result of the creditors' decision process filed on 17 July. Whether any rescue sale or restructuring of the UK business is being pursued has not been confirmed.

Employees affected by the redundancies should be aware of their potential legal position. Where 20 or more people are made redundant at the same workplace without a proper information and consultation process, workers may be entitled to claim a protective award of up to 180 days' pay through an Employment Tribunal. Where a company is insolvent, such awards can be paid from the National Insurance Fund via the government's Insolvency Service.

The failure of Escape Fitness does not affect the US operation, which continues to trade through Escape HoldCo. For UK gym operators with outstanding orders, active contracts or equipment under warranty, the position remains unclear — and administrators have yet to provide public guidance on how those relationships will be handled.

The collapse adds Escape Fitness to a growing list of UK fitness industry casualties. Active Nation, Jensen's Gym and Ripped Gym all failed during 2025 and 2026, underscoring the sustained pressure bearing down on a sector that has never fully stabilised since the disruption of the pandemic years.