Route of Bradford 10k approved

4:20pm Friday 22nd February 2008

The route of the Epilepsy Action Bradford 10k has this week been officially measured and also approved by the highways, police and other relevant authorities.

The route will be entirely traffic-free, with marshals provided by Airedale Athletics to monitor junctions and side-roads.

The first kilometre is tough, but will mean that runners soon find themselves in a similarly-paced group.

After starting at the junction of Centenary Square and Bridge Street, in front of the Town Hall, the route goes down Market Street for 100 yards before it turns sharp right down Bank Street and then left onto Hall Ings (230m).

Runners will have to be careful not to trip, or be tripped, on these opening bends. Perhaps the turns will help ensure that people set off at a sensible, sustainable pace.

The route then begins climbing up Leeds Road (500m). At this point it climbs very sharply left, up Chapel Street and again left (680m) onto Peckover Street, where it levels off.

At the end of Peckover Street (840m), by the cathedral, the course has already started dropping down again, and the street left (Church Bank) is a steep drop down to Forster Square (1km marker).

The route from here is basically flat for the remainder of the race. The deviation is less than 75 feet (under 25m) over the remaining 9km, making it one of the flattest, fastest courses in Yorkshire. That is about a 1-in-200 incline each way.

From Forster Square, the route takes runners out and back along Canal Road to Shipley. The 'out' run is on the right of the road, so theoretically against the traffic the whole way.

Just after the 3km marker, there is a short detour away from Canal Road, following the road straight along Stanley Road and then winds gently upwards to turn left (4km marker) onto Livingstone Road and back down to Canal Road (4.4km).

The half-way marker is near the junction of Canal Road and Shipley Fields Road. But the course continues a further 500m or so to the turn-round point, just before the junction with Briggate and the bridge over the railway, approaching Shipley.

A water-station will be provided near here.

The run back follows Canal Road, avoiding the Stanley Road detour, all the way back to Forster Square.

The final 400m involves a turn right, alongside the Broadgate site, towards the Midland Hotel (280m to go) and then left to enter Market Street for a final 230m straight dash to the finish, where the race started, at Centenary Square.

A map, with possibilities to check distances in miles or kms, and the height profile, as well as 3D route visualisation, is available by clicking the Related Links button below.

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