West Yorkshire

Newsdesk

Race Listing for West Yorkshire

About the area

Whether you're after a plod in the Pennines, a riverside run, or a canal canter, West Yorkshire has it all! The region is home to one of the UK's most vibrant cities (Leeds), as well as areas of great natural beauty (Calder Valley, Yorkshire Dales), and the towns that highlight the region's rich industrial heritage (Bradford, Huddersfield, Halifax).

The area has a rich running heritage too. One club with a great West Yorkshire tradition is Crossgates Harriers. We speak to club secretary Michael Murphy who tells us about the club's plans for their 30th anniversary this year. Part of these celebrations will include a takeover of their local Temple Newsham parkrun.

Also celebrating a significant anniversary is the Run For All Leeds 10K, which turned 10 in July. Run For All also stages Leeds Half Marathon, celebrating its 32nd anniversary in 2017.

One event that generated a lot of publicity in 2013 was the Wetherby 10K, after 19 runners were disqualified for wearing headphones. The event is about far more than strongly enforced rules though. It has become a firm favourite with West Yorkshire runners and acts as an ideal training event for Yorkshire Marathon and the Great North Run.

A more irreverent race is Team OA's Wineathlon held in Huddersfield. The 9-mile trail run has feed stations every two miles featuring ' you guessed it ' wine samples. Hopefully this will help you go from wining ways to winning ways…

The flourishing West Yorkshire running scene is helped in no small part by initiatives such as Run Leeds. The project is a collaboration between England Athletics and Leeds City Council aiming to provide opportunities for people to run recreationally in the city. Ben Fraser from Run Leeds tells runABC North how they're going about doing that and how you can become involved with the project. Read on to find out why West is best!

Lots to choose from a wide menu of groups, clubs, races and routes. So what's stopping you?

Check out some of what West Yorkshire has to offer to runners below.

Running clubs in West Yorkshire

• Abbey Runners
• Ackworth Road Runners & AC
• Acre Street Runners
• Aire Valley Runners
• Airecentre Pacers RC
• Baildon Runners
• Bingley Harriers & AC
• Bradford Airedale AC
• Brighouse Bumble Bees
• Calder Valley Fell Runners
• Chapel Allerton RC
• Crossgate Harriers
• Denby Dale Travellers
• Dewsbury Road Runners
• Dragons Running Club
• Eccleshill Road Runners
• Halifax Harriers AC
• Hartshead RC
• Holme Valley AC
• Holmfirth Harriers AC
• Horsforth Fellandale Club
• Horsforth Harriers
• Huddersfield Road Runners
• Hyde Park Harriers
• Idle AC
• Ilkey Harriers AC
• Keighley & Craven AC
• Kippax Harriers Running Club
• Kirkstall Harriers
• Leeds & Bradford Triathlon Club
• Leeds Carnegie AC
• Leeds City AC
• Longhwood Harriers AC
• Northowram Pumas
• Marsden Racers
• Meltham AC
• Otley Athletic Club
• Pontefract AC
• Pudsey & Bramley AC
• Pudsey Pacers
• Queensbury RC
• Roberttown Road Runners
• Rothwell & District Harriers
• Skyrac AC
• Spenborough & District AC
• Stadium Runners
• St Theresa's AC
• Stainland Lions RC
• Todmorden Harriers & AC
• Valley Striders AC
• Wakefield District Harriers & AC
• Wetherby Runners AC
• Wharfedale Harriers
• Woodkirk Striders

Club focus: Marsden Racers

Running groups in West Yorkshire

• Abbey Runners
• Absolute Beginners (Otley)
• Armley Amateurs
• ATB - Men Only
• Barnbow Beginners
• Barwick Beginners Group
• Born to Run Netherton
• BPP Runners
• Bradford Beginners
• Bradford Joggers
• Brighouse Road Runners & Improvers
• C.A.T Beginners
• Calderdale Knights
• Calverley Running Group
• Chapel Allerton Challengers
• Chapel Allerton Runners,
• Clayton West Runners
• Colton / Temple Newsam Beginners
• Comets Fitness Fun
• Covea
• Covea Insurance Running Group
• Crow Nest parkrun
• Deighton Joggers
• DW Sports Birstall
• Eccleshill Punjab FC Running Club
• Eureka! Runners
• Farsley Recreational Runners
• Halifax Harriers – Improvers, Stage 2
• HASSRA Harriers
• Holmfirth - Jo’s All Women Group
• Jenny’s Joggers,
• Jog Calderdale,
• Jog Kirklees
• Jog Kirklees Huddersfield Group
• Kents BD2 Running Club,
• Knottingley Sports Centre Joggers,
• Lawnswood,
• Lee Mount Ladies,
• Leeds Metropolitan Jogging Club,
• Max’s Movers,
• Moorside Community Runners,
• Moortown Beginners,
• Morley Movers,
• North Leeds Beginners,
• Oakwell Strollers,
• Pugneys Joggers,
• RAM Runners,
• Ready2Run,
• Real Runners,
• Red Doles Runners,
• Rodley Running Group,
• Rothwell Harriers Beginners,
• Run Baildon Absolute Beginners Group,
• Run Leeds @ Alwoodley,
• Run Leeds @ Garforth,
• Run Leeds @ Kirkstall,
• Run Leeds @ Leeds Trinity University
• Run Leeds @ St Teresias
• Run Leeds @ Wetherby,
• Run Wild,
• Run Leeds
• RunLeeds - Horsforth Harriers Beginners,
• Running Group for All
• Saltaire Greens
• Sara’s Ace Sprinters
• Scissett Baths Running Club
• South Leeds Sisters
• The Old Mod’s Striders
• Thornes Park Joggers
• Thornton ATB
• Tong Joggers
• T’s Mobile’s, Roundhay, Leeds.
• Wakefield Running Mamas,
• Wakefield Up & Running,
• West Park Pacers,
• Wetherby Beginners,
• Wharfedale Harriers Ladies Running Group
• Women Beginners Running Group
• Women On The Run, Bradford,
• Wyke Womens Fitness & Running Group,

Ben Fraser from Run Leeds talks to runABC North about how the project is helping more people to run recreationally in the city...

Tell us about Run Leeds
The Run Leeds project is a joint collaboration with England Athletics and Leeds City Council. The aim is to support new and existing opportunities for people to run recreationally, particularly easing inactive and new participants into regularly running. It originally started in early 2011, led by Leeds Athletics network, with a focus on beginners and improvers. By the end of 2012 the first phase of the project had engaged thousands of new runners in both traditional and non-traditional environments.

The second phase of the project began in mid-summer of 2014 and has seen several big additions added to the running community including notable groups such as the Farsley Flyers, South Leeds Lakers, South Leeds Sisters, Leeds Frontrunners (the city’s only LGBT friendly group) and the Bramley Breezers.

What challenges did you face launching the project?
The biggest challenge was connecting with the already thriving running community in the city while simultaneously creating new connections with communities that don’t have the opportunity to run together. Identifying enough volunteers to set up and lead sessions is an ongoing challenge. As the groups grow continually, we always need more volunteers. If anyone is interested in setting up or linking in with any groups, they would be more than welcome to!

What help do you give local groups/clubs?
Local groups and clubs are offered support in marketing and promotion as part of the citywide effort to spread the word. We support and shadow volunteers in becoming qualified run leaders (Leadership in Running Fitness – UKA accredited) and pass the softer skills of leadership and management via one to one engagement and England Athletic-led workshops. Another big part of what we do is to tell the individual and eclectic stories of the runners across the city.

Are you associated with any events in the city?
Generally, we move around the city attending and supporting events in parks, at leisure centres and community festivals. We have supported a very special event in Middleton Park, South Leeds for the past two years. On Valentine’s Day the community come out to Run for Skye and raise money for a great cause, in memory of a very special little girl! runleeds.co.uk/running-news/running-for-skye-2016/
 
We have recently partnered with the company Run For All to provide new groups with the opportunity to work towards running the Leeds 10K – a fantastic spectacle 10,000 runners attend each year. We also love what parkrun do and always connect our participants with this opportunity – several of our groups have even reached the stage of taking over their local parkrun event!

What advice would you give to someone in Leeds thinking of getting into running?
Firstly, I’d tell them to pop onto the website (runleeds.co.uk) to get an understanding of what running in Leeds is all about. The stories, advice and knowledge shared - I’d guarantee that each person will find something they can connect with. Then I’d hope they would pop along to their nearest session or event to take part!

Find out more on runleeds.co.uk

Services in West Yorkshire

FOCUS ON SB SPORTS MASSAGE

BASED IN Leeds, SB Sports Massage provides pre and post event massage, injury rehabilitation and stress relief and relaxation massage to clients throughout the region. Founded in 2009, the business is run by Sally Barker, a qualified Sports Massage practitioner and biomechanics trainer.

The practice offers four main treatments: stress relief & relaxation massage - for general aches, pains, tension & stress; remedial & rehabilitation massage - for those returning from an injury or surgery; pre event massage - for anyone involved in a specific event or competition; and post event massage - for anyone involved in strenuous exercise.

Sally boasts a wealth of experience, having worked with the England women’s rugby league team and the New Zealand men’s rugby league squad during their Four Nations Tours in 2009 and 2011. As a keen runner, Sally completed her first half Ironman in 2011, finishing third behind a pro and a GB athlete.

Sally Barker told NORTHERN RUNNING GUIDE: “We see many runners at SB Sports Massage, some of whom have tight muscles, some have painful niggles and others have specific injuries. Our therapists are able to treat all of these to get the client back to full fitness and training more efficiently. We encourage all of our clients to use massage as a prevention rather than a cure, as keeping muscles loose will ultimately help to prevent injury from occurring.”

Sports massage is priced at £20 for 30 minutes and £35 for 50 minutes.

Sports Massage

• SB Sports Massage, Regent House, 15 Hawthorn Road, Leeds LS7 4PH

Please contact us and we will include details of your service

Physiotherapy

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Podiatry

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Personal Training

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Nutrition Advice

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If you are offering a service to runners in West Yorkshire such as physiotherapy, sports massage, podiatry, personal training, nutrition advice, please contact us here!