Looking through the Leeds 10K archive: 15 amazing moments from the last 15 years

This year is the 15^th Anniversary of the Leeds 10K, so we thought it would be fun to look back at some of our most memorable moments from the last decade and a half. We’ve been lucky enough to have some amazing people come and take part, as well as representation from countless charities, running clubs, and other organisations.

This is the original Run For All event, so the memories we make here always have a special place in our hearts. Here are some of our favourites.

Our first ever event

The first Leeds 10K took place in June 2007. Jane Tomlinson CBE raised £1.8 million for charity, and she set up the Leeds 10K so her fundraising could continue for years to come. Here’s Jane, the reason it all began, launching our very first Leeds 10K.

Famous faces

2007 was an amazing first event, with thousands of runners and spectators showing up to get involved. Eddie Gray MBE, one of the greatest Leeds United players of all time, came to run and show his support.

Eddie Gray is far from the only famous face we’ve had at the Leeds 10K. Paula Radcliffe MBE is a distance running legend who has set records and won multiple marathons all over the world. She’s taken part in several Leeds 10K races over the years and, in 2010, she took part while seven months pregnant with her second child.

Model and Leeds local Nell McAndrew has also taken part in several Leeds 10Ks over the years, such as this one in 2010. She’s an accomplished athlete, with a marathon personal best of 2:54:39.

Gemma Atkinson, actress, radio presenter, and former model, also made an appearance in 2010! She’s taken on lots of brilliant charity work over the years, raising money for the Teenage Cancer Trust, Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary, and more.

We’re lucky to have always had a close relationship with the Leeds Rhinos and many of them have taken part in the Leeds 10K. Here, legends Keith Senior and Barrie McDermott are getting ready to run in 2013 with actress Gaynor Faye, of Coronation Street and Emmerdale fame.

Matthew Lewis, who you may recognise as Neville Longbottom from the Harry Potter films among his many other acting roles, is a Horsforth local! He took part in the 2014 Leeds 10K.

In 2015, we were lucky enough to have former Leeds United right back (and Celebrity MasterChef finalist!) Danny Mills come to take part. He’s a keen runner and also a patron of Shine, a charity that provides support people with spina bifida and hydrocephalus.

And in 2016, ex-Leeds Rhinos player Kevin Sinfield OBE made an appearance. Kevin has taken on some incredible fundraising challenges – in December 2020 he ran seven marathons in seven days to raise £77,777 for ex-teammate Rob Burrow, who is suffering from Motor Neurone Disease. In terms of both fundraising and sporting achievements, Kevin Sinfield is a legend and we’re lucky to have had him at so many of our Leeds 10Ks!

One of our favourite things about the Leeds 10K (and all our events, really) is how we get to welcome participants of different abilities and backgrounds. We’ve had many wheelchair racers over the years – here are two of them getting ready in 2012.

We get lots of creative costumes...

It’s always amazing seeing everyone get dressed up! It makes the event so eye-catching and creates a really fun atmosphere. These storm troopers stole the show in 2014!

And inflatable unicorns are pretty unique too!

We love seeing runners embrace their confidence

At the front, you can see many of the Leeds Girls Can team. This is a brilliant organisation that empowers women in Leeds to get active, and we always love seeing these ladies at our events. In 2019, they ditched their running gear and ran the route in their underwear, to encourage other women to be comfortable in their own skin.

15 years for Clarion

Clarion have been our corporate sponsor since day one, so this year is their 15 year anniversary of the Leeds 10K too. Here’s their team in 2011, looking very excited to get underway!

Back and better than ever...

Like so many events, we sadly had to take a hiatus from the Leeds 10K in 2020. But when we came back in 2021, we were bigger and better than ever - look how excited our runners are to get back out there!

Some of our other incredible participants

Of course, we couldn’t just pick 15 photos. Here are a few other great pictures from the archive over the years:

We also want to take this opportunity on our 15^th anniversary to thank some of the fantastic people who have been involved in making the Leeds 10K a reality, whether that’s by taking part in the event, promoting it, or being a patron.

We love the Leeds 10K and we know that this event simply wouldn’t be possible without our amazing runners, volunteers, charities, promoters, presenters, and (of course) all the amazing Leeds locals who create the atmosphere we’re famous for.

Our 15^th anniversary Leeds 10K is sure to be an incredible event, and we’re excited to mark the occasion by taking on a brand new route! If you want to celebrate with us, you can sign up here! We can’t wait to see you on the start line.