Leeds · Otley Road · Fancy dress (unofficially compulsory)

Eighteen pubs. Two and a half miles. One legendary day.

Leeds' most famous pub crawl — a costumed march from Headingley to the city centre. The full route, an interactive map, the timings… and how to turn up looking the part.

See the route & map Get costume-ready
Stops
18
Miles
2.5
Typical hours
8+
Costume themes
50+

What is the Otley Run?

A Leeds rite of passage, one round at a time

Ask anyone who's studied in Leeds and they'll know the Otley Run. It follows the old Otley Road — the route that links the city with the market town of Otley — dropping through Far Headingley, Headingley, Hyde Park and Woodhouse before finishing near the city centre. One pub after another, all roughly in a line, all walkable.

It started as a 1960s student tradition and grew into an institution. Today it's the default way to mark a birthday, a stag or hen do, a society social or a graduation — and somewhere along the way, fancy dress became the rule, not the exception. Whole crews turn up as superheroes, Smurfs, dinosaurs, Oompa-Loompas or an entire nativity in July.

“You don't have to finish all 18. Pick your target, pace yourself, and wear something you'll be happy photographed in eight hours later.”

The full route, in order

Walk all 18. Scroll to run it.

From Woodies in Far Headingley to The Dry Dock in town — 18 pubs, ~2.5 miles. Scroll down to draw the route and drop each stop in turn. Pubs change hands over the years, so treat this as the traditional line-up and check ahead on the day.

Scroll to walk it, tap a stop to jump, or hit Run the route

  1. 01Far Headingley

    Woodies Ale House

    The traditional start line — roomy, relaxed and the place to get the group photo before it all kicks off.

  2. 02Far Headingley

    The Three Horseshoes

    One of Headingley's oldest pubs and an easy early round. Pool and darts if the crew's still competitive.

  3. 03Headingley

    The New Inn

    No-frills and friendly — a quick-round pub to keep momentum up.

  4. 04Headingley

    Taylor's Sports Bar & Grill

    Big screens and big energy. A newer addition that's become a firm fixture.

  5. 05Headingley

    Arcadia Ale House

    A calmer craft-beer moment before the busy middle stretch.

  6. 06Headingley

    The Head of Steam

    Lively, with shuffleboard and interactive darts to burn some time.

  7. 07Headingley

    Headingley Taps

    A reliable mid-route checkpoint to regroup and count heads.

  8. 08Headingley Central

    BOX Headingley

    Big screens, bigger crowds — one of the buzziest stops on the run.

  9. 09Headingley

    The Skyrack

    A genuine landmark and often the busiest point of the day. Opposite its old rival, the Oak.

  10. 10Headingley

    The Original Oak

    Huge beer garden — the classic spot to regroup before the long Hyde Park stretch.

  11. 11Hyde Park

    Hyde Park Pub

    The start of the steady grind toward town. Corner-of-the-park institution.

  12. 12Woodhouse

    The Library

    A classic student stop that fills up fast — keep the group tight.

  13. 13Woodhouse

    The Pack Horse

    Much-loved student pub with live music heritage.

  14. 14Woodhouse Lane

    The Eldon

    A late-route checkpoint right by the university — take stock of who's still standing.

  15. 15University

    Handsome Brewery Tap

    A craft stop near the uni steps to steady the ship before town.

  16. 16University

    Leeds University Union

    Busy, lively and cheap — a rite-of-passage stop for anyone who studied here.

  17. 17Woodhouse Lane

    The Fenton

    Independent, characterful and a Leeds music institution. Nearly there.

  18. 18City Centre

    The Dry Dock

    The classic finish — a boat on dry land. If you made it here, you've run it.

Prefer a proper map?

The route on the streets of Leeds

Tap any pin for the stop, its area and the distance from the last pub — then send the whole thing to your phone.

Full walking route — km
Open in Google Maps ↗

Turn up as a team

The costume makes the run

A coordinated group beats a good pub every time. Pick a theme, kit everyone out, and you're the crew people remember. Every look below links straight to Jokeshop — 20% off with

Superhero squad

Capes, morphsuits and spandex the whole group can pull on over jeans.

Shop superheroes →

Animals & onesies

Dinosaurs, Dalmatians, flamingos and inflatables — comfy for the long haul.

Shop onesies →

Decades, TV & film

70s disco, 80s neon, Where's Wally, Top Gun — instant, recognisable group themes.

Shop themes →

Do it properly

Survive all 18 — the essentials

  • Start early. Doors from late morning gives you room, shorter queues and a real shot at the full route.
  • Eat first, eat again. A proper breakfast and a planned food stop around the halfway mark is the difference between finishing and folding.
  • Pick a meeting point. Agree one obvious spot outside every pub before you go in — you will lose someone.
  • Pace, don't race. Halves and softs count. Early bravado is why people don't see the Dry Dock.
  • Dress for eight hours. Layers, comfy shoes and a costume you can actually sit, walk and queue in.

Good to know

Otley Run FAQ

How many pubs are on the Otley Run?

The classic route has 18 stops, from Woodies Ale House in Far Headingley to The Dry Dock near the city centre. You don't have to do them all — most groups set a target and count it as a run either way.

How long does it take and how far is it?

It's about 2.5 miles on foot and most groups take 6–10 hours depending on pace, group size and queues.

Where does it start and finish?

Traditionally it starts at Woodies Ale House in Far Headingley and finishes at The Dry Dock near the city centre — though some crews start further up or bail out early in town.

Do we have to wear fancy dress?

Not officially — but it's the whole spirit of the day and most groups pick a theme. A coordinated costume is what turns a pub crawl into the Otley Run.

When's the best time to do it?

It runs all year round. Weekends and term-time Saturdays are busiest (and best for atmosphere); a weekday run means shorter queues and more chance of the full 18.

One thing left to sort

Get the costumes.
Then go run it.

Kit out the whole crew from Jokeshop's Pub Crawl range and save 20% with code

Shop Otley Run costumes

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