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St Aidan's Trail Runners

The Half Marathon You’ll Fly Through

This October, you are invited to fly the nest from St Aidan's to Fairburn Ings…

Are you something of a twitcher? Do you love the sound of birdsong on a run and spend time spotting different species as you get in your miles? If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions then the St Aidan's Half Marathon scheduled for 16 October could be right up your street. 

This trail half marathon is unique in the fact that it takes runners on a tour of not one, but two nature reserves. The course starts close to the RSPB visitor centre at St Aidan's Nature Reserve and does a quick loop of the reserve before following the River Aire to Fairburn Ings. At the second reserve runners will enjoy another looped run before returning to St Aidans for the finish line.

Just a stone’s throw from the centre of Leeds, St Aidan’s was an opencast mine for many years and has now been restored to a wonderful nature park for everyone to enjoy. The trails wind their way through woodland glades, alongside whispering reedbeds, around lakes and ponds. 

Nestled between Leeds, York and Wakefield, Fairburn Ings is an exciting site for serious wildlife watching. Over the last 60 years it has transitioned from coal face to wild place; an ex-industrial site rich in heritage and an important site for breeding and wintering wildfowl, especially gadwalls.

If the wild beauty of the trail route isn’t reward enough, runners will also receive chip timing, chocolate or beer and a medal! And a minimum donation of £500, or 30% of net profits from the race will be donated to the RSPB – whichever sum is greater!

In 2021, Mark Holden of Dewsbury Road Runners won the race in 1:20:34 with Tobias Adkins of Hyde Park Harriers coming in second place with a time of 1:20:55. Third place was claimed by Sharon Barlow of Harrogate Harriers & AC, who stormed round the course in 1:24:39. Second place women was Emma Place in 1:44:52. 

If you'd like to know more visit the event website here

Image: Even Splits Events

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