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 and through the iconic arch (halfway up) 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…

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.

The weather conditions can make the stairs pretty hazardous. We recommend avoiding it when it’s icy and really slowing your pace right down when it’s 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.

There’s a toilet at Gotts Park Mansion, which can be found on the western edge of the park.

Park for free at Gotts Park car park, postcode: LS12 2QX (Google Map Directions) –  then it’s a short walk to the steps.

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!