Otley Run More Like Otley Stumble

The Otley Run.

If you’re not from around Leeds, or you haven’t been to a Leeds Uni, you have probably never heard of it. If however you do fall into those categories, you’ll know that The Otley Run is nothing athletic as its name suggests, but a pub crawl with 16 stops between Headingley and Leeds city centre.

It’s apparently a rite of passage for students of Leeds Universities. Participants usually do it in fancy dress, although this is not a necessity. In fact, one of the venues we hit later on in the run had a sign saying “no fancy dress” – fortunately, our chosen costume theme of 1920s Gangster/Gatsby had resulted in a bunch of smartly dressed guys going for that Peaky Blinders look. So perhaps don’t go too crazy if you want to complete The Otley Run properly!

A word of warning: this is a popular Leeds pastime, and consequently the first pubs are absolutely packed. As you go along, the crowds disperse, but it’s wise to start off with buying rounds in those opening pubs. Otherwise, you spend too long waiting rather than drinking and walking.

The 16 venues you need to hit are as follows:

#1 Woodies Craft Ale House

Very, very, very busy. Small outdoor section. Makes you feel like canned tuna.

#2 The Three Horseshoes

Also very, very, very busy. Otley Run map on wall.

#3 The New Inn

Very, very busy and quite small.

#4 The Headingley Taps

Little bit of a walk from New Inn but you pass a KFC. Again, very, very busy but spacious inside.

#5 Manahatta

Very busy but very spacious.

#6 The Box

A good place for a tactical chunder if your name is David Banks.

#7 The Skyrack

A good venue to leave beer and move onto alcopops.

#8 The Original Oak

Half way point. Huge beer garden.

#9 The Hyde Park

15 minute walk from Original Oak, or 5 minutes on the bus.

#10 The Library

On the other end of Hyde Park. Feels like a Spoons.

#11 The Packhorse

Standard city pub. I suggest a Jager bomb.

#12 The Eldon

Another standard city pub (a good thing btw!). Time to hit the shots.

#13 LUU

Bit of a walk. Old Bar at University of Leeds. Student Union bar.

#14 The Fenton

Shots, shots, shots. Outdoor area outback featured a bass music gig.

#15 Strawbs

Literally next door to The Fenton. Easy to miss. Sound bar staff.

#16 The Dry Dock

Looks like an old boat cos it is an old boat. Outdoor seating upstairs on deck.

For more info, check out this post.

https://leeds-list.com/food-and-drink/the-beginners-guide-to-the-otley-run/

I was glued to this page throughout the entire Run.

The Walking And Talking Society were out for Brendan Clayton’s 25^th birthday. His sister Dannielle was also celebrating her 21^st and bringing a load of her friends too. Joy all round!

Andy drove me and Joel to Leeds. Lad. We arrived around 1:30. Taras was living in Leeds and had offered us a place to stay for the night. LAD. His kindness was repaid on the walk to Woodies when a bird shat on him.

The original plan was to start the Run at 2pm. Obviously, with 16 venues to get around, you need to start early. Also obviously, we started late. At around 2:40 we arrived at Woodies, met the rest of the gang and got the first drinks in.

Now, my initial idea for this blog was a step-by-step guide to the route accompanied by a photo of our party at every venue, but let me remind you that this is a pub crawl, and for some reason (perhaps alcohol related), I quickly forgot about it. Soz.

As I’ve mentioned, the first few pubs were hella busy. When we reached Manahatta (Stop 5) I noticed the amount of crawlers was decreasing, but they were being replaced by football fans. Chance had seen to schedule the first round of the Championship Play-Off Semi Final between Derby County and Leeds United right in the middle of our Run. Joel and I really didn’t mind this as we were both interested. Few others were, but that didn’t stop Andy and Taras trying to fit in with cheering Leeds fans.

VID’S TOP TIP #1: When planning your dayer in Leeds, try not to time it to coincide with the biggest game of Leeds United’s season.

When the Leeds game was over, it became noticeably quieter. That’s not to say the venues were empty – oh no! They were still pretty full. Just… quieter. Like an F1 engine is quieter than a jet engine.

After our bus ride to Stop 9 The Hyde Park, we were joined by Brendan’s photographer friend Demi. This has to be the first VidOnTour blog featuring Brendan Clayton that doesn’t feature his fancy camera!

OtleyRun-11.5.19-5549.jpg — *PixelMediaPhotographyUK*

By #10 The Library, most of the gang were lagging. The alcohol was starting to take effect. Andy was starting to feel the familiar presence of Darth Sidious. Unfortunately, half the party had to leave after The Library, as they were getting the last train home to Barnsley.

VID’S TOP TIP #2: GET YOURSELF A BED IN LEEDS. Hotel, friend’s house, park bench – whatever. You don’t wanna have to give up half way through ffs. Get yourself a Taras.

OtleyRun-11.5.19-5550.jpg — *PixelMediaPhotographyUK*

This is a Taras. He wants beer. And maybe gin. And a kebab. And for that he will give you a sofa.

Onwards we rolled through the last few pubs, swapping beers for spirits to eventually shots, until finally, we reached our 15th venue – The Dry Dock. That wasn’t right. I looked on my phone and realised we’d missed Strawbs. But nobody wanted to go back on themselves. I simply cannot have that. I made Brendan RUN back with me to Strawbs – as we had completely missed it when stumbling out of The Fenton. I hadn’t come all the way to Leeds and spent over 8 hours on the crawl to ALMOST complete The Otley Run.

AND SO, for one reason or another, the only members of our team to complete the Otley Run were… me and Brendan. 16 started, only 2 finished.