Armley Killer Steps

Hidden in and amongst the lush greenery on the edge of Armley Park, adjacent to the railway and river is 161 Victorian steps that lead up to the eastern edge of Armley Park. People have been stomping up these steps for over 100 years.

Things have moved on a lot since the days of Victorian frolicking. Now people of all shapes, sizes and fitness levels come to conquer these, because there’s lots of good reasons why you should…

Wanting to find your way to the start of the route? Here is a link for a Google Maps Directions page.

Route Highlights

One of the route highlights of running all of the 161 Killer Steps is running through the iconic arches halfway up the stairs. And once at the top you're treated to some incredible views over Kirkstall Valley.

Best Time To Run

The best time to run the 161 Armley Killer steps is on a summers at the beginning or end of the day. At this time of year the steps are usually dry and you're going to avoid the peak of the heat.

Here are lots of reasons why you need to run or walk the 161 Armley Killer Steps:

• Overall, it’s an awesome workout for your heart, legs and bum.
• It contributes to increased bone strength.
• It has a low impact on the knees. 
• It gets you working a lot harder than you would on a road run. 
• It burns twice the amount of fat than a normal run and three times that of walking.
• You can burn approx. 1000 calories stair running for an hour!
• This is a perfect group exercise because the steps are in one place, whatever your ability, you’re always going to finish together. 

And if you want to take on the killer steps with other silly people – Trailblazer in Leeds meet every Sunday between 2-3pm to conquer it together. 

For more reasons why steps/hill running is great for you take a look at the article: Why All Runners Should do Hill Training.

Running a long set of old stony uneven stairs takes a fair bit of coordination and a good level of trust. Addon top of this the weather conditions and this can become a fairly hazardous task.

With the above in mind avoid running the 161 Killer Steps when it’s icy or extremely wet. 

Found on the edge of Gotts Park in inner west Leeds. This public park has been an open access green space since the early 20th century. And located along Stanningley and Kirkstall Road, it’s one of the nearest green spaces of significant size for residents in and around Burley, Kirkstall and Armley. And it has some amazing views over nature spots like Kirkstall Valley. 

For more information about Gotts Park, we would recommend you take a look at Gotts Park page on Discover Leeds.

To find the nearest toilet you will need to turn right at the top of the 161 Killer Steps, walking through the centre of the park until you find Gotts Park Mansion next to the rose garden and golf club.

You can park for free in Gotts Park car park, postcode: LS12 2QX (Google Map Directions) – Once parked up it is just over a 10-minute walk to the top of the 161 Killer Steps located next to the skate park on the eastern side of Armley Park. 

We know pubs with a relaxed atmosphere are ideal for runners who have sweated it out and aren’t made up. Both the Kirkstall Bridge Inn and The West End House are ideal for a group or solo post-run. These friendly pubs serve good food and drink on Kirkstall Road!