Roundhay Park is a terrific spot for running, with miles of paths and something for everyone. The park, located 3 miles north of Leeds, offers 700 acres of rolling parkland with lakes, woodlands, formal gardens. We’ve created a 5.3 mile ‘grand tour’ of the park to use as a guideline, but it’s best to create your own route. Also site of a parkrun.
Canal Gardens. Wimikedia
Start at the Waterloo Lake car park, and do a pleasant 1.6 mile loop of the paths alongside Waterloo Lake. Next, do a 1-mile loop of the more formal part of the park, including the gardens at the western end. Then enjoy an 0.5 mile loop around Upper Lake. The final section is more of a 1.5 mile trail run around several overlapping ‘geology trails’ at the northern end of the park. These mainly wooded trails are hillier, with some tricky footing in parts.
For more, take a jaunt around Soldier’s Fields at the southern end of the park.
Add-On: Potternewton Park is 2 miles south and has a nice 1.4 mile outer loop path. Roundhay Park is also the northern end of the Wykebeck Way linear park path.
Roundhay Park is a terrific spot for running, with miles of paths and something for everyone. The park, located 3 miles north of Leeds, offers 700 acres of rolling parkland with lakes, woodlands, formal gardens. We’ve created a 5.3 mile ‘grand tour’ of the park to use as a guideline, but it’s best to create your own route. Also site of a parkrun.
Canal Gardens. Wimikedia
Start at the Waterloo Lake car park, and do a pleasant 1.6 mile loop of the paths alongside Waterloo Lake. Next, do a 1-mile loop of the more formal part of the park, including the gardens at the western end. Then enjoy an 0.5 mile loop around Upper Lake. The final section is more of a 1.5 mile trail run around several overlapping ‘geology trails’ at the northern end of the park. These mainly wooded trails are hillier, with some tricky footing in parts.
For more, take a jaunt around Soldier’s Fields at the southern end of the park.
Add-On: Potternewton Park is 2 miles south and has a nice 1.4 mile outer loop path. Roundhay Park is also the northern end of the Wykebeck Way linear park path.
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Essentials
Grand Tour: 5.3 miles (8.6 km). Many options to vary the route
Our 'runseeing' tour of Leeds explores some of the main squares and sights of the city centre, the University of Leeds, and Woodhouse Moor. For a longer run, combine with our waterfront route.
Choose a section of the 127-mile Leeds-Liverpool canal path for a classic English canal run. We've mapped an 8-mile out and back from Leeds to Kirkstall Abbey, with nice water views, pastoral sections, and attractive Abbey parkland. Add Armley Park stairs!
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One of our favorite runs in the Leeds area. Explore the grand grounds of Temple Newsam, then do a loop around Skelton Lake, and cross the Aire River to enjoy the paths around Rothwell Park's meadows. Many additional path options.
A well-marked linear park trail, running for nearly 6 miles between Temple Newsam and Roundhay Park. Most of the gravel/dirt path passes through parks and across fields. Good additional paths at Temple Newsam, Primrose Valley Park, Roundhay Park.
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Lovely spot for a run, combining a wide gravel path and a public Bridleway. A loop around the Reservoir is 4 miles, combining water views, woods, and farm fields. Connect to Golden Acre Park and the Meanwood Valley Trail for a longer run.
An introduction to one of the many 'bridle path' walks that are popular in Yorkshire. A fairly easy trail run on dirt paths and small lanes, combining wood and fields. Highlights include Fulneck Moravian Settlement, Pudsey & Tyersal Beck, Black Carr Woods.
470-acre park in the southern part of Leeds that's a terrific spot for an easy trail run. There are 3-4 miles of rolling hill trails though fields, woods, and around a small lake. There's also a running track at the northeast end of the park.
Combining the paths around the open green space of Horsforth Hall Park with the trails through the wooded Hunger Hills makes for a fun, hilly run in the northeastern section of Leeds. There's a running track at Leeds Trinity University.
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Essentials
Grand Tour: 5.3 miles (8.6 km). Many options to vary the route
Review or Comment on This Route/Share a Photo!
Share your feedback on this route and see that of other Great Runs users. Click on the image icon to upload a photo. And please let us know if there are notes or changes we should incorporate!