Otley Run
The Otley Run is a famous Leeds pub crawl along Otley Road from Headingley to the city centre, usually done in fancy dress by students, stag and hen parties and work groups. Despite the name, it does not go to the town of Otley; it takes its name from the road.
In practice
The traditional route starts in Far Headingley and works its way through more than a dozen pubs and bars down Otley Road, through Headingley and Hyde Park, finishing in the city centre. Groups choose a theme, and on busy Saturdays the pavements are full of superheroes, nuns and cartoon characters. Some pubs on the route have dress codes or limit group sizes, and the council and police work with venues on safety and behaviour.
Why it matters to newcomers
You may be invited on an Otley Run for a work celebration or a friend's birthday; pace yourself, as nobody finishes all the stops. If you are house-hunting in Headingley, a flat on Otley Road itself will be lively on weekend afternoons.
Related
- Headingley - where the run starts
- Hyde Park - the student district on the route
- Loiner - many of whom did it as students
Source: Leeds City Council.