It's Grim Up North Running Yorkshire Weekend Saunter in Kirkstall

Pick your distance

What you’re in for

The Weekend Saunter format: five, ten or a half at your own pace on a weekend morning, with places on the day. It is the gentlest thing on the Grim calendar, meant for a first race or a long-run-with-company rather than a time. The course is the Leeds & Liverpool Canal towpath from Wyther Lane in Kirkstall, an out-and-back that turns at a marshal and comes back the way it went. Kirkstall Abbey is a few minutes along the bank, Headingley is the nearest station, and there is no parking at the start — it is street parking and a walk.

Terrain and trail

Surfaced towpath the whole way, flat apart from the ramps at bridges and locks, and wide enough to pass on. It is the fastest ground Grim run on: a PB course if you want one, and a kind one if you are stepping up a distance. Puddles and a bit of mud where the surface gives out near the bridges, and it can be icy in the winter events. The events are cup-less, so bring your own cup or bottle for the water at the finish. Over-ear headphones are not allowed, and there may be an unmarshalled road crossing.

Train for it: routes near the start

Routes starting within 20 km of Leeds & Liverpool Canal, Wyther Lane, Kirkstall, Leeds, nearest first. Each one has a free GPX file and a TRP grade, so you can rehearse the ground before race day.

MODERATE

Washburn Valley from Leathley

10.2km · 167m climb · Loop · 12km away

You get a quiet string of reservoirs and river woodland a stone's throw from Otley, with none of the crowds of the honeypot dales. It is the sort of route locals keep to themselves.

MODERATE

Shipley Glen and Baildon Moor

12.7km · 215m climb · Loop · 12km away

You start at the World Heritage village of Saltaire, run the canal and the wooded ravine of Shipley Glen, then climb to the trig on Baildon Moor for a proper moor-top view over Airedale.

VERY HARD

The Ilkley Skyline

35.1km · 808m climb · Loop · 14km away

Eleven kilometres of unbroken moor crest, then you cross the valley and run the skyline back the other way with your entire morning laid out in front of you. It is the biggest day available from an Ilkley train station.

MODERATE

The Twelve Apostles and Rombalds Moor Trig from the Cow and Calf

7.7km · 248m climb · Loop · 17km away

You touch the highest point of the moor and a Bronze Age stone circle inside eight kilometres, on paths good enough to run nearly all of. It is the best hour available on Ilkley Moor.

HARD

Burley Moor Stone Circles from the Cow and Calf

11.6km · 320m climb · Loop · 17km away

Four thousand years of prehistory in one loop. Rombalds Moor carries over 400 cup-and-ring marked stones, and this route strings the best of them together before dropping you onto two kilometres of Burley Moor that almost nobody runs.

MODERATE

Ilkley Moor from the Cow and Calf

9.5km · 287m climb · Loop · 19km away

You run straight up onto the moor of the famous song, past the Cow and Calf crags and out to the Twelve Apostles stone circle, with cup-and-ring carvings scattered underfoot.

Checked Jul 2026

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How to enter

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Common questions

How far is the Yorkshire Weekend Saunter in Kirkstall?

The Yorkshire Weekend Saunter in Kirkstall offers 3 distances: 5K (3.1 miles), 10K (6.2 miles), Half Marathon (21.1 km / 13.1 miles).

How much climbing is in the Yorkshire Weekend Saunter in Kirkstall?

No course file for the Yorkshire Weekend Saunter in Kirkstall yet, so there's no measured climb here. When It's Grim Up North Running publish one, this fills in.

How hard is the Yorkshire Weekend Saunter in Kirkstall?

Not graded yet. A TRP grade is worked out from distance and climb measured off the course file, and there isn't one for the Yorkshire Weekend Saunter in Kirkstall yet.

Is the Yorkshire Weekend Saunter in Kirkstall course marked?

Yes, the course is marked. Navigation skills are not required.

What kit do I need for the Yorkshire Weekend Saunter in Kirkstall?

We don't hold a compulsory kit list for the Yorkshire Weekend Saunter in Kirkstall. It's Grim Up North Running confirm mandatory kit in their race information, usually in the final instructions.

What are the cut-offs for the Yorkshire Weekend Saunter in Kirkstall?

We don't hold published time limits for the Yorkshire Weekend Saunter in Kirkstall. If It's Grim Up North Running set cut-offs, they'll be in the race information.

What is at the checkpoints on the Yorkshire Weekend Saunter in Kirkstall?

We don't hold a checkpoint list for the Yorkshire Weekend Saunter in Kirkstall. What's on the table varies a lot between races, so check the It's Grim Up North Running race information rather than turning up expecting food.

Can I download the Yorkshire Weekend Saunter in Kirkstall route?

Not yet — we don't hold a course file for the Yorkshire Weekend Saunter in Kirkstall. Some organisers only send the GPX to entrants. If we get one, it goes up free, with no sign-up.

When is the next Yorkshire Weekend Saunter in Kirkstall?

Sat, 14 Nov 2026, 08:30. Entries open.

Past runnings