It's Grim Up North Running Leeds Canal Side Run
Out of Granary Wharf behind Leeds station and straight onto the Leeds & Liverpool towpath through Kirkstall and beyond: 10k to ultra, flat and traffic-free.
| Distance | Ascent | Per km |
|---|---|---|
| 52.2 km Ultra Marathon | — | — |
| 42.2 km Marathon | — | — |
| 20 Mile | — | — |
| 21.1 km Half Marathon | — | — |
| 10 Mile | — | — |
| 10K | — | — |
Nobody has reviewed this one yet
No reviews of the Leeds Canal Side Run, and nothing on what people wore. Both are things no organiser publishes and every runner wants before they enter — how it actually went, and what was on your feet.
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Pick your distance
starts 10:00
What you’re in for
A March race that starts in the middle of Leeds and is on the towpath within a hundred metres, 10k to the 52.2km ultra. The course starts at Granary Wharf behind Leeds station, joins the Leeds & Liverpool Canal at its very beginning and follows the towpath west out of the city through Armley and Kirkstall, an out-and-back turning at a marshal. A city start with no car needed — the station is above you. The marathon is two halves and the ultra is two halves plus a 10k.
Terrain and trail
Surfaced towpath from the first step, flat and traffic-free once you are clear of the wharf. The first couple of kilometres run under the city's bridges and past Armley Mills and can be busy with walkers and bikes; it thins out towards Kirkstall. Fast, even ground the whole way, with the usual towpath puddles after rain. Feed stations roughly every three miles with drinks, sweets and cake, and the events are cup-less, so bring your own cup or bottle. A GPX is supplied and not every junction has a marshal, so know where the turn is. Over-ear headphones are not allowed, and some road crossings are unmarshalled.
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Upload your GPX or connect Strava and we'll print the course with your name, date and finish time. From £12.
Make your race print →Train for it: routes near the start
Routes starting within 20 km of Granary Wharf, Leeds, nearest first. Each one has a free GPX file and a TRP grade, so you can rehearse the ground before race day.
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Five-mile loops of Rothwell Country Park from Skelton Lake services, woodland, riverside and grass with one climb for the view of Leeds, and a kebab at the end. Five to twenty-six miles.
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£28–£43
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Leeds & Liverpool Canal, Wyther Lane, Kirkstall, Leeds · It's Grim Up North Running
Day one of the Christmas weekend at Kirkstall: 5k to marathon on the flat Leeds & Liverpool towpath with music and food at race HQ. Run one day or both.
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£18–£43
Other races near here
West Yorkshire races →Races from other organisers starting within 30 km of Granary Wharf, Leeds, nearest first.
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Meanwood Holly Hustle
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St Andrews Roundhay United Reformed Church, Shaftesbury Avenue, Leeds · LDWA West Yorkshire · 3 miles away
Fifty miles in two loops round rural north Leeds from Roundhay, by Temple Newsam, the Meanwood Valley and the Harewood estate, with twenty-two hours and two start times.
Entries open
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Self-navigated 59km winter ultra on the Leeds Country Way, Garforth-Greengates
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How to enter
Sat, 6 Mar 2027 · Entries open · £29–£43
Enter on their website ↗Entries are handled by It's Grim Up North Running, not by us. We take nothing for sending you there.
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Common questions
- The Leeds Canal Side Run offers 6 distances: 10K (6.2 miles), 10 Mile (16.1 km), Half Marathon (21.1 km / 13.1 miles), 20 Mile (32.2 km), Marathon (42.2 km / 26.2 miles), Ultra Marathon (52.2 km / 32.4 miles).