Just off J45 of the M1 is the ‘world class’ Leeds Skelton Lake Services which uniquely combines top-notch design with a vibrant selection of food, drink, retail and leisure brands, some of which are making their UK motorway network debut.
The award-winning building design showcases stunning, exposed, long-span timber beams under a ‘living green roof’, blending seamlessly among its natural surroundings and boasting plenty of natural light. It’s not just an architectural marvel; it’s a testament to environmental sustainability.
Just behind the services are Skelton and Rothwell Country Parks, so it also makes an ideal race HQ with marvellous facilities for the runners to take advantage of. The races, which are organised by Grim Up North Running, include a variety of distances from the classic 6.7 miler to marathon.
In the lead up to the race, the organisers had received unwelcome news that the event had been refused permission to use the canal path due to ‘anti-social behaviour’. Maybe the dog that had been kicked at an earlier event (see past race report) had lodged a formal complaint. This meant that the course had to be rejigged at 5am on Sunday morning.
Consequently, the race instructions at the race briefing were a little confusing. Marathon runners were advised to do 4 laps of 5 miles and a 1.7 mile out and back section each time and 20-mile runners were told to do 3 laps and an out and back section each time (I mean why would you do 4 x 5 mile laps!). At the said race briefing, the RD advised everyone to listen carefully as it is easy to go wrong. Despite being at the front, listening attentively, Dan Ashcroft did exactly that on the first lap. Following a discussion with the RD, it was deemed that the route taken, was probably longer than the correct route. Some other runners who went the correct way, then told the RD that last time they did the event, it was 5 laps and 1 out and back. So, runners did slightly different courses. One runner was muttering that they had lost count of what they were doing and no idea what to do next.
Anyway, it was a great event and added to the mix of variety in terms of event experiences.
