Leeds Half Marathon 2023

The official Leeds Half Marathon 2023 route is a brand new route starting and finishing at the seminal Headingley Stadium.

Jane Tomlinson started the iconic Leeds Half Marathon all the way back in 2003.

Each year thousands of people run all 21 kilometres of the Leeds Half to raise thousands of pounds for charity. Thanks goes to Run for All for sharing the official route.

The route covers 13.1 miles through Headingley, Hyde Park, Meanwood,  Lawnswood, and Bramhope. The brand new half marathon route takes in some of the most attractive road running north of Leeds.

If you are wanting some hints on how to train for a half marathon, take a look at our Training for a Marathon as a Beginner article. It will help set you up for a half-marathon!

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

This route has a distance of 20.92km and an elevation gain of 315m.

The largest non-stop incline begins in the second third of of the route, and has a distance of 678m and an elevation gain of 25m. You can see this on the above elevation chart in red.

The largest continual decline is 359m long with an elevation drop of 15m which starts near the end of the route. This is shown on the chart as green.

Route Highlights

Since its inception in 2003 the Leeds Half Marathon has developed into one of the biggest running events in Yorkshire. Every year thousands of runners complete the event to raise thousands of pounds for charity. The newest version of the route is arguably better than before. Expect to run through some of the greenest suburbs north of Leeds; finishing with a grand stand finish at Headingley Stadium!

Best Time To Run

The Leeds Half Marathon 2023 is run completely on road. Due to the terrain this route is a versatile route that can work all year round. If you're running the official event in May, make sure you come fuelled and hydrated. It's advised that if you choose to run this in heat then come prepared before and during the run to fuel the body with food and drink that's appropriate to you.

Begin at the edge of the Headingley Stadium complex on St Michaels lane and run directly ahead until you reach the main road of Headingley Lane. Take a right towards the city centre.

After a short distance you will reach Hyde Park corner. Run anti-clockwise around Woodhouse Moor park via Hyde Park Road. You will come back to Headingley Lane; run a mini triangle on Cavendish Road and Hilary Place.

Back on the dual carriageway of Headingley Lane it’s now time to run a very long straight north. Once on the famous Otley Road you are set to run straight all the through Headingley, Weetwood and Lawnswood. Keep going until you reach the edge of Bramhope. This long stretch will take in over 200-feet of climbing.

A note for this stretch (if you running this outside of event day). Otley Road can get particularly busy on the footpaths due to students doing the Otley Run. The earlier the better if you are planning to do this on a sunny day!

Once you reach the edge of Bramhope you will come back the same way you came – enjoy the gentle decline in the second half. Once you reach North Lane in Headingley you will take a right back towards Headingley Stadium. Enter the stadium via the rugby south stand and finish on the pitch!

Around 80% of the Leeds Half Marathon 2023 is run on one of the busiest roads going in and out of north Leeds – Otley Road/Headingley Lane. Run like every driver hasn’t seen you – this cautiousness will keep you safe on the roads.

On the official event day the roads are closed which removes this risk. If you run this any other time you will need to consider the volume of traffic throughout.

You can prepare for this long run around the city by doing several things. Bring an ID and a charged up phone with an emergency contact taped to it. This will get the help you need in the event you fall unwell.

You will start and finish the Leeds Half Marathon 2023 in Headingley, a majority student based community on the edge of the city’s university campuses.

The run route will travel through the suburb areas of Hyde Park, Weetwood, Lawnswood and to the edge of Bramhope.

There are public bins all along this route.

The nearest accessible toilets to the start and finish of the run can be found at Headingley Stadium.

Park for as little as £1 in the Headingley Taps car park (Directions). The start of the run is 5-minutes away on North Lane.

As a rule of thumb you’re going to burn on average around 1,500 calories running the Leeds Half Marathon 2023. This means you’re probably going to be ready for a proper feed not long after finishing the 13.1 miles.