Keep on running! I
F thoughts of running the famous London Marathon – this year on April 23 – have inspired you to take up running, then why not enter one of the many half marathons, races and fun runs in the region this spring. Our guide features just a sample of what’s on offer to runners – from beginner level up to more challenging events – within an hour’s drive of Huddersfield.
They’re listed in date order, from now until the beginning of July.
Overgate Hospice 10k run and 5k charity fun run starts at Trinity Academy School in Halifax at 9.30am. It costs up to £14 to register for the events (less for under 14s in the fun run), but entry fees include a t-shirt and medal. Registering on the day incurs an extra charge so it’s best to book a place via 10k.overgatehospice.org.uk.
The monthly King of the Hill race in Marsden has competitors running from Binn Lane to the top of the hill on Wessenden Head. It costs £3 to enter and registration is from 6.30pm to 7.30pm.
The running starts at 7pm. Visit teamoa. co.uk for details. The next event after this is on May 10, then June 14.
Chocathlon is a themed run with, as the name suggests, chocolate feeding stations around the route. It is a 9 kilometre easy trail run/walk with registration at The Old Goods Yard, Station Rd, Marsden, from 11.30am. The event starts at 1pm. Entry is £15 and there’s a 250 limit on the number of entries so, if you’re keen, register today (teamoa.co.uk/ chocathlon has the information).
The World Coal Carrying Championships in Gawthorpe on Easter Monday attract super-fit runners not afraid to heft sacks of coal on their backs as they stagger 1,012 metres through the village. There are men’s, women’s and children’s races, with varying weights of coal. Entry fees are from £10 and registration begins at 10.15am. Visit gawthorpemaypole.org.uk for details.
For running teams with endurance the Hardcastle 24 in Calderdale offers the chance to run for six, 12 or 24 hours in the picturesque wooded valley of Hardcastle Crags, near Hebden Bridge. Through the night the 5k course is torch-lit. Open also to solo runners – although there are restricted numbers of places available – this event begins at 10am, with registration
Plusnet Leeds Half Marathon, organised by Jane Tomlinson’s Run For All, is in its 32nd year. It starts and finishes on The Headrow, with runners leaving the starting line at 9.30am. Registration costs from £34 at hm2017.eventdesq.com
The Calderdale Way Relay race organised by Halifax Harriers takes teams along a route divided into five stages and starts from West Vale. It is the country’s biggest club-run offroad event. The various legs of the race vary from five to 10 miles. For details visit halifaxharriers.co.uk Entry is £66 per team.
The School Run, which starts at Holme Junior and Infant School, is an event for all the family. There’s a chance to walk the five mile route or take part in the more challenging trail run from the school. Expect breathtaking scenery around Digley Reservoir. The race starts at 10am and entry is £10. The website northernrunningguide.com has the details. 2.5K Fun Run. It’s £13 to enter the 10K race and £6 for the fun run. Information on how to register can be found at thedigitalsanctuary. co.uk
Todmorden Park in Calderdale is the venue for the Tod Park 5K summer race series. Registration is 5.45pm, with the race starting at 7.15pm. There’s another on July 6. It is £8.50 to sign up for an individual race. For details visit cannonballevents.co.uk
The Lindley Community Group Lindley 10K race starts and finishes in Lidget Street, near the library and takes a route around the village, beginning at 9.30am. A 2K fun run for novice runners and families on the same day starts at 9.30am. Entry is between £5 and £14. For entry details visit lindleygroup.org.uk
Now a popular annual event, the Race for Life in Huddersfield attracts thousands of runners to raise money for Cancer Research UK. The 5K event starts at the Leeds Road Sporting Complex at 10.30am. It costs between £10 and £14.99 to register and is open to all ages, from six years upwards. Runners make a double lap of the sports ground. For details visit raceforlife.cancerresearchuk.org