Hosted by Run For All events, with its city centre start and finish, the Leeds Half Marathon brings excitement, colour, crowds and a great atmosphere to the heart of the city. This year the race was hosted alongside the Run For All 10k. Support for runners along the route is always phenomenal, whatever the weather. Every participant gets a boost from the words of encouragement they receive. A mass warm-up before the start ensures that everyone is loose and raring to go. The Leeds Half Marathon is Yorkshire’s biggest and probably loudest event of its kind. Jane herself was proud to start the race back in 2003. The much-loved run raises hundreds of thousands of pounds for charity every year and often attracts more than 7,500 runners. This year’s race was quite different in that Covid measures put in place meant starts were divided into colour coded areas to minimise the crowd gatherings with the finish being moved from the city centre to Kirkstall Road near the Yorkshire Television studios.
Billed as the perfect race for all abilities it was bound to attract an Eccleshill Road Runner or two (even if they forgot they had entered it!). Deferred entries from 2019 meant the event crept up on some with their numbers arriving in the post in an untimely manner! Sadly one or two DNS due to injury. The sun made an early appearance making the already tough course a little tougher for runners in both races.
Crossing the finish line, runners collected water and an energy drink to replenish and rehydrate, as well as a goody bag and medal to showcase their achievement.
Eccleshill runners completing the half marathon were Sarah Myers in 2:31:41 and Stuart Wagstaff 2:25:41
The 10k runners: Annie Kisluk 53:03, David Goodyear 55:29, Jonathan Tansley 62:37, Jo Smith-Eccles 60:40
Fantastic running everybody, well done!
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