diff --git a/src/_pytest/pytester.py b/src/_pytest/pytester.py
index e75a09db5..5b42b81ee 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/pytester.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/pytester.py
@@ -669,11 +669,6 @@ class Testdir(object):
         else:
             raise LookupError("example is not found as a file or directory")
 
-    def run_example(self, name=None, *pytest_args):
-        """Runs the given example and returns the results of the run"""
-        p = self.copy_example(name)
-        return self.runpytest(p, *pytest_args)
-
     Session = Session
 
     def getnode(self, config, arg):
diff --git a/testing/test_tmpdir.py b/testing/test_tmpdir.py
index b351066a3..487f9b21e 100644
--- a/testing/test_tmpdir.py
+++ b/testing/test_tmpdir.py
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@ import pytest
 
 
 def test_tmpdir_fixture(testdir):
-    results = testdir.run_example("tmpdir/tmpdir_fixture.py")
+    p = testdir.copy_example("tmpdir/tmpdir_fixture.py")
+    results = testdir.runpytest(p)
     results.stdout.fnmatch_lines("*1 passed*")