'Plan ahead' message as city gets set for Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon

The fourth Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon is taking place on Sunday, May 10, with thousands of runners set to hit the streets of local neighbourhoods and communities.

Organised by the not-for-profit sporting events company Jane Tomlinson’s Run For All in partnership with Leeds City Council, the marathon – named in honour of the late rugby league legend Rob Burrow – will raise funds for a whole host of good causes.

It will also once again showcase Leeds as a city that lives and breathes sport, with large crowds expected to line the 26.2-mile route to give their backing to the runners.

To help ensure the best possible experience for athletes and spectators – and to mitigate general impact for residents, visitors and businesses – a carefully planned programme of temporary road closures and other traffic and travel measures will be in place for the event. Key details include:

• The marathon will start and end at AMT Headingley Rugby Stadium, with runners following a circular route that initially winds around Woodhouse Moor before striking out for Lawnswood, Bramhope, Pool in Wharfedale and Otley. The Leeds Half Marathon, which is also on May 10, will use much of the same route. The two events have together attracted more than 13,000 entrants;
• In Headingley, parts of St Michael’s Lane and Newport View will be closed to vehicles from 4am on the 10th. Further closures will start to kick in on Cardigan Road, Beechwood Crescent (St Annes Drive direction only), Kirkstall Lane/North Lane and the Cardigan Road-St Michael’s Grove section of St Michael’s Lane from 6am. Closures of other selected roads in Headingley will be implemented from 7.30am;
• Closures on the stretch of the A660 that runs between Headingley and Pool Bank New Road – via Lawnswood Roundabout and Bramhope – will then come into force between 8am and 8.30am. Further closures will take effect from 9am around Pool in Wharfedale and Otley;
• The marathon will get under way at 9am, with competitors in the half marathon setting off from Headingley at 10am;
• Affected roads along the route will be reopened on a rolling basis through the day as soon as it is safe to do so. Emergency service access will be maintained at all times.

Full details on road closures and other marathon-related traffic and travel arrangements – including diversions for Leeds Bradford Airport and vehicle crossing points – can be found here.

People travelling to Headingley on the day are being encouraged to use park and ride services that will be operating from Elland Road and Stourton. Shuttle buses will also be operating between the city centre and Headingley. There will be no dedicated event parking in Headingley itself.

A spokesperson for Leeds City Council said:

“We’re encouraging everyone who might be impacted by the event to familiarise themselves with the temporary road closures and other traffic restrictions that will be required for its safe and smooth delivery.

“The council and Run For All will be doing everything possible to minimise disruption, and we thank residents, visitors and businesses in advance for their patience and understanding.”

Tristan Batley-Kyle, operations director at Run For All, said:

“For an event of this scale, significant road closures are unavoidable. We are working closely with Leeds City Council, highways teams, emergency services and multi‑agency partners to ensure the event is delivered safely and securely.

“We would like to thank residents and businesses in advance for their understanding and apologise for any inconvenience caused. Every effort will be made to reopen roads as quickly as possible.”

After being diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) in 2019, Leeds Rhinos great Rob worked tirelessly to raise awareness of the condition and deliver improved care for those affected by it.

The marathon that bears his name will this year again be raising funds for the MND Association and Leeds Hospitals Charity.

The event’s partner charities also include the Jane Tomlinson Appeal, Candlelighters, Happy Days Children’s Charity, Leeds North & West Foodbank, Leeds Rhinos Foundation, Macmillan Cancer Support and St Gemma’s Hospice.

In addition to the marathon and half marathon, the schedule on the 10th includes the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon Relay in partnership with Clarion, which will see teams of seven tackling different legs of the full route.

And, on May 9, Leeds Beckett University’s Headingley campus will be playing host to the MND Mile, a Run For All event designed to cater for participants of all ages and abilities.

ENDS