1. It’ll Please Your Eyes
From Robin Hood’s Bay to the open expanses of the Dales, you’d have to have dumbbells in your head not to recognise Yorkshire as a beautiful corner of the world. And what better motivation is there to get off the sofa than a romp around scenery so stunning that it’ll spark a fire of patriotic pride in your belly? You’re utterly spoiled for choice when it comes to remarkable running routes in Yorkshire – the Scarborough seafront (pictured) and North Yorkshire Moors National Park are two to get you started.
2. It’ll Keep You on Your Toes
If it’s hill sprints, fartlek training or just plain road running that you’re up for, Yorkshire’s varied landscape has got everything covered. Prepare for mud through the tough terrain of the county’s very own Three Peaks challenge (Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough), or hit the Tarmac and follow one of the routes used during the 2014 Tour de France. The towpaths along the Leeds and Liverpool canal also make for some brilliant sessions, as long as you stay on the Yorkshire side of course.
3. You’re Staying Fit with the Best
Want proof that working out in Yorkshire can get you the body of an athlete? Look no further than the county’s hard-to-beat sporting pedigree. It’s home to current county cricket champions Yorkshire CCC as well as the all-conquering rugby league giants Leeds Rhinos. Champion triathletes the Brownlee brothers hail from Leeds, while if you go for a run around the streets of Sheffield you may be lucky enough to bump into Team GB heptathlon hero Jessica Ennis-Hill. Oh, and not to mention, if Yorkshire was a country it would have finished higher on the medal table at the 2012 Olympics than the likes of Australia, South Africa and Jamaica. There must be something in the water…
4. There’s Something in the Water
You won’t be running far without keeping up your hydration. Luckily, Yorkshire’s reservoirs produce some of the nation’s cleanest drinking water, which is ideal to fuel a run, and perfect for making that well-earned beer at the end of your route. Nothing tastes like a pat on the back like a masterful Faith Pale Ale from Leeds’s Northern Monk brewery.
5. You can Fill your Ears with Local Sounds
We’re not talking about birdsong on Ilkley Moor or the crashing of waves in Whitby. Stuff your iTunes with rock anthems from born-and-bred chart-bothering Tykes, all of whom call the very lands you’re furiously sweating over their motherland. Here’s just a couple that’ll get your pulse up:
Arctic Monkeys, “When the Sun Goes Down”
Kaiser Chiefs, “I Predict a Riot”
The Cribs, “Men’s Needs”
alt-J, “Left Hand Free”
Def Leppard, “Animal”
Pulp, “Common People”
(Header image: Flickr)
