A history of the Leeds Abbey Dash
This history was written by Peter Scaife of the Abbey Runners, and includes details of the many historical landmarks along the route.
Introduction
Now in its third decade, the Abbey Dash has established itself as one of the UK's most popular and successful road races and raised tens of thousands of pounds for charity.
The fast, flat course appeals to runners of all abilities: elite athletes, running club members and fun runners.
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The origin of the race
The Abbey Dash was the brainchild of Richard Witt, a member of the Abbey Runners club. It was first run on 14 December 14 1986 in aid of the mental health charity Mind, but when Richard started to work for Help the Aged the following year, he took the race with him.
The first race had a field of 523 men and 95 women and was won by Andy Howden of Leeds City running club. Lynn Evrington of Stretford AC was the first woman home.
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Changes to the course
The course has always included a ‘dash’ up the main Leeds-to-Horsforth road as far as Kirkstall, but there have been a number of alterations to the start.
Originally the race began on Wellington Street near the Yorkshire Post building after runners had congregated in the adjacent car park. The car park has long gone, and runners have since started on Northern Street, Queen Street and Little Queen Street.
In 2007 the starting point was moved to the same place as the finishing point: outside the Town Hall on the Headrow.
Another recent change is the removal, in 2007, of the short loop around Kirkstall Abbey. Now, runners simply turn round the traffic island in the main road, making the course faster still!
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Course records
The fastest recorded run on the course was 28 minutes and 45 seconds, by Mike Openshaw. The women’s record is held by Jill Hunter (32 minutes and 15 seconds). (Of course, changes to the route mean that records are not comparable).
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Landmarks along the route
The Abbey Dash begins on one of the best-known streets in Leeds: the Headrow, which originally formed the northern boundary of the medieval city. As Leeds grew in the nineteenth century, the Headrow came to link the city’s prosperous west end with the poorer east end.
The Town Hall, constructed between 1853 and 1858 and opened by Queen Victoria, was designed by Cuthbert Brodrick, who also designed the city’s Civic Theatre and Corn Exchange. A statement of municipal pride, the Town Hall epitomised the emergence of Leeds as an important industrial centre.
The route proceeds downhill past the now-closed Leeds International Pool, often referred to as the ‘Olympic Pool’ despite being too narrow by inches to meet Olympic criteria. At the bottom of this section towers another Leeds landmark: the Yorkshire Post building.
As runners swing right onto Kirkstall Road, the hugely impressive piece of engineering that is the Kirkstall Viaduct appears before them. Constructed in 1849, the viaduct carries a scenic line joining Leeds with Harrogate, Knaresborough and York.
Kirkstall Abbey, whose picturesque ruins were painted by Turner, gives its name to the race. It was founded by Cistercian monks in 1152. After its dissolution by Henry VIII in 1539, much of the original stone was used in construction elsewhere in Leeds.
The building passed to the Brudenell family, Earls of Cardigan, and was opened to the public by the Council in 1895. It has recently undergone a £5.5 million renovation.
Landmarks on the return leg of the race include the Cardigan Arms public house on Kirkstall Road. It is said that William ‘Buffalo Bill’ Cody stayed here whilst appearing in his Wild West show on Cardigan Fields in 1904.
The route also passes the Yorkshire Television studios where British television’s longest-running programme ‘Countdown’ is produced.
We wish you an enjoyable - and speedy - Abbey Dash!
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