:Otley Run

File:A-board outside Strawbs Bar, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds (25th August 2017).jpg

As a recurring event in Freshers' Week, Otley Road pub crawls serve to introduce incoming students at The University of Leeds and Leeds Beckett University (originally Leeds Polytechnic) to Leeds' residences and campus locations.{{cite web|url=http://digital.library.leeds.ac.uk/11480/121/LUA-PUB-002-LS-310_000.pdf|title="Places to Drink"|work=Leeds Student|date=7 October 1983}}

These are also a popular social gathering for student clubs and societies{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/leeds/content/articles/2007/02/21/student_diaries_chris_stevenson_200702_feature.shtml|work=BBC|title=Leeds - Students - A piece of student culture|date=28 October 2014}} throughout the year and have been adopted by Leeds College of Music, Leeds Arts University, and Leeds Trinity University.

Otley Run participants also include members of The University of Bradford Hockey Club and students of the Grammar School at Leeds, Lawnswood School, Roundhay School, Notre Dame Catholic Sixth Form College, Guiseley School, Horsforth School, St Mary's, Menston and Abbey Grange Church of England Academy do the Otley Run on their last day, as well as students from Otley's Prince Henry's Grammar School Sixth Form, with their run usually including various pubs and bars around Otley as well as the Headingley Mile venues.

The enduring popularity of the Otley Run has seen it become a common activity for birthdays and other celebrations among graduates, city residents, and visiting parties.{{cite news|title=Headingley's Otley Run is as popular as ever|work=Headingley Today|url=http://www.headingleytoday.co.uk/news/Headingley39s-Otley-Run-is-as.3874215.jp|date=2008-03-13|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517123451/http://www.headingleytoday.co.uk/news/Headingley39s-Otley-Run-is-as.3874215.jp|archive-date=2008-05-17}}

Themed charity events organised by Leeds Rag{{cite web|url=http://web.archive.org/web/20080422173113/http://www.leedsrag.org.uk/2007/10/24/halloween-otley-run-challenge/|title=Leeds RAG » Blog Archive » Halloween Otley Run Challenge}} have led to fancy dress as a common theme, and in 2010 a five-minute segment in Oz and Hugh's Raise the Bar featured the presenters dressing up to take part.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpdIhKfFICU|title=Oz Clarke and Hugh Dennis do the Otley Road Pub Crawl in Leeds|website=YouTube }}{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00x334f|title="BBC Two - Oz and Hugh Raise the Bar"}}

The Otley Run has inspired beer bottle designs,{{cite web|url=https://www.packagingoftheworld.com/2017/03/the-otley-run-co-student-project.html|title=The Otley Run Co (Student Project) - Creative Package Design Gallery}}

poetry and a verse novella,{{cite web|url=https://www.otleytowncouncil.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Otley-Matters-June-2017-No80-Online-Version-3.pdf|title=Otley Poetry Prize Winners Announced|work=Otley Matters}}{{cite web|url=http://www.yorkshire-voice.com/leeds-author-joe-williams-celebrates-citys-best-known-tradition-the-otley-run-with-book-launch/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201205025833/http://www.yorkshire-voice.com/leeds-author-joe-williams-celebrates-citys-best-known-tradition-the-otley-run-with-book-launch/|url-status=dead|archive-date=2020-12-05|title=Yorkshire Voice - Joe Williams book launch}}

and artwork depicting the venues and scenery on the route.{{cite web|url=https://www.stavesart.com/product-page/the-otley-run-2020-hand-drawn-city-map-art|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924122027/https://www.stavesart.com/product-page/the-otley-run-2020-hand-drawn-city-map-art|url-status=dead|archive-date=2020-09-24|title=The Otley Run (2020) Hand Drawn City Map Art {{!}} StavesArt}}

In 2019, the Leeds HSBC's "Global Citizen" campaign mentioned the Otley Run by name on billboards across Leeds.{{cite web|url=https://www.campaignlive.com/article/hsbc-we-not-island-j-walter-thompson-london/1522009|title=HSBC "We are not an island" by J Walter Thompson London|work=Campaign US|date=3 January 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/news/leeds-news/brilliant-advert-celebrates-leeds-united-15628361|title=Brilliant advert celebrates Leeds United, the Kaiser Chiefs, fish and chips, the Otley Run and all things Leeds|work=Leeds Live|last1=Gildea|first1=Samantha|date=4 January 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-46782759|title=HSBC sparks controversy with ad campaign|work=BBC News|date=7 January 2019}}

Influences on the Otley Run's name and route over time include:

• A long-standing tradition of social drinking after lectures among students of the University of Leeds,{{cite web|url=http://digital.library.leeds.ac.uk/5361/1/LUA-PUB-002-UN-172_000.pdf|work=Leeds Student|title=Come Drinking With Jo Garvey|date=1964-10-03}} with some heading to student residences such as Devonshire Hall and Bodington Hall which had on-site cafeteria and bar facilities.
• An occasional "Otley Run" event also open to the general public,{{cite web|url=http://www.richardhamer.co.uk/?p=3|title=Richard Hamer - Blog Archive - Where Have all the Pubs Gone?|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110318090637/http://www.richardhamer.co.uk/?p=3 |archive-date=18 March 2011 }}{{cite web|url=https://issuu.com/danspeed/docs/leeds-full-measure-128|title=Leeds CAMRA Full Measure issue 128}} in which Otley pubs were opened for farmers' business use under provisions of the Licensing Act 1964, giving them favourable opening hours on market days,{{cite web|url=https://www.otleypubclub.co.uk/about-otley-pub-club|title=About Otley Pub Club}} set out in relevant byelaws as on Monday and Friday{{cite web|url=http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/WRY/Otley|title=Otley, West Yorkshire}}
• Tetley's incredible popularity and copious Yorkshire pubs,{{cite web|url=http://grandiosedecay.weebly.com/history-of-tetleys.html|title=History of Tetley's}} including The Oak Inn (Original Oak){{cite web|url=https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/leeds-the-houses-that-joshua-tetley-filled-1-3458523|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180503180342/https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/leeds-the-houses-that-joshua-tetley-filled-1-3458523|url-status=dead|archive-date=2018-05-03|title=Leeds: The houses that Joshua Tetley filled - Yorkshire Evening Post}} and a brewhouse at The Woodman (Woodies)
• Students being able to include bars and events on University of Leeds and Leeds Polytechnic union premises (which were originally members' clubs and required membership cards to enter), and on-site at residences such as Bodington Hall - events included a Wednesday Bop night set up specifically to attract sports clubs and their opponents after matches.{{cite web|url=http://digital.library.leeds.ac.uk/13618/1/LUA-PUB-002-LS-580_000.pdf|title=Firkin Outrageous|work=Leeds Student|date=7 October 1994}}
• Proximity of The Stables (at Weetwood Hall) to Bodington playing fields [for sports societies], of the Three Horseshoes and New Inn (central Headingley) to Beckett's Park, of Woodhouse Lane pubs to various University of Leeds departments, and of The Cobourg/Pig and Whistle (Claypit Lane and Merrion Centre) to the Polytechnic civic centre campus.{{cite web|url=https://universityofleeds.medium.com/discover-the-historic-pubs-near-uni-f3770ff5f7b2|title=Discover the historic pubs near Uni|last1=Partridge|first1=Bethan|date=2021-08-10}}

• Changes in permissible afternoon and evening opening hours encouraging new bars to open around North Lane/central Headingley and enhancing the appeal of bars and clubs at the city centre end of the main road
• Advice from letting agents seeking to attract students with written articles about the local area,{{cite web|url=http://www.headingleystudenthouses.co.uk/the-otley-run/|title=The Otley Run}} from hen/stag party planners and fancy dress shops advising customers on which pubs to visit,{{cite web|url=http://www.otleyrunfancydress.co.uk/content/8-the-otley-run|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100819100222/http://www.otleyrunfancydress.co.uk/content/8-the-otley-run|archive-date=2010-08-19|title=Otley Run Leeds Fancy Dress Shop}} and further commercial interest from pubs and associated discount card providers looking to get their associated venues "on the route". Viral marketing campaigns involving Twitter feeds and web sites were employed, each claiming to be official sources of information.

The tradition of starting an Otley Run early{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinknews/11624363/The-town-that-refuses-to-call-last-orders-on-its-pubs.html|title=The town that refuses to call last orders on its pubs - Telegraph}} predates The Licensing Act 1988's repeal of the law requiring pubs to close in the afternoon.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7370986.stm|title=Which Town has the Most Pubs For its Size|date=28 April 2008 }}{{cite web|url=http://pint-of-history.wales/en/opening-hours.php|title=Opening Hours for Licensed Premises}}

Prior to this, Otley's status as a thriving market town{{cite web|url=https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/analysis/putting-otley-on-the-pub-map-1-8267602|title=Putting Otley on the Pub Map}} having given it exemption from this law made it popular with drinkers.

For students, an Otley Road pub crawl might run to or from University Union premises{{cite web|work=Leeds Student|title="Alphabet City"|date=1988-10-07|url=http://digital.library.leeds.ac.uk/11667/1/LUA-PUB-002-LS-433_000.pdf}}{{cite web|url=http://www.vinspireuk.com/2014/07/the-otley-run.html|date=2014-07-11|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140716204220/http://www.vinspireuk.com/2014/07/the-otley-run.html|archive-date=2014-07-16|title=The Otley Run}} and include (or stop at) residential cafeteria facilities and nearby Tetley pubs or the Bodington Hall on-site bar.{{cite web|url=http://tclj.toasted-cheese.com/category/2014/14-4/page/2/|title=Toasted Cheese Literary Journal}}{{cite web|title="The London of the North? Youth Cultures, Urban Change, and Nightlife in Leeds"|url=https://research.ncl.ac.uk/youthnightlife/leedsrep.pdf}}{{cite web|url=http://breweryhistory.com/wiki/index.php?title=List_of_Joshua_Tetley_%26_Son_Ltd._pubs|title=List of Joshua Tetley & Son Ltd. pubs}}

As city centre pubs began to adopt the new longer opening hours, {{cite web|url=https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/heritage-and-retro/retro/when-drinkers-raised-glass-new-leeds-pub-opening-hours-2981294|title="When Drinkers Raised a Glass to New Leeds Pub Opening Hours - Yorkshire Evening Post"}} the northern end point of the Otley Run route crept into Adel, Lawnswood, and Weetwood in keeping with the proximity of student residences such as Devonshire Hall, Bodington Hall, and Oxley. Starting around the ring road junction was also popular with student sports societies thanks to Bodington's playing fields, Sports Park Weetwood,{{cite web|url=http://sport.leeds.ac.uk/facilities/weetwood/|title=Sports Park Weetwood}} and location of The Stables (at University-owned Weetwood Hall). Woodhouse Lane/Albion Street bars and city centre clubs offered end points for south-bound runs should drinkers not qualify as members or guests as required for access to student union bars at the time. This journey would therefore pass or approach such sites as the University playing fields at Bodington Hall/Weetwood Pavilion,{{cite web|url=https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/497130|title=Weetwood Cricket Pavilion}} as well as Carnegie stadium, Castle Grove Masonic Lodge, Associated Tower Cinemas' famous Lounge and Cottage Road cinemas, the site of the Skyrack wapentake Shire Oak{{cite web|url=https://theculturevulture.co.uk/miscellaneous/the-place-to-meet-in-leeds/|title=THE Place to Meet in Leeds}} (now commemorated with a blue plaque at the Original Oak), Woodhouse Ridge, the site of Leeds Girls' High School, and Woodhouse Moor/Hyde Park.

As Headingley's student population subsequently grew,{{cite web|url=https://www.allsop.co.uk/media/shift-student-ghettos-attractive-residential-areas/|title="Headingley: from studentification to inclusive communities - Allsop"}} more, larger, and longer-opening pubs arrived in the area{{cite web|url=http://www.hmolobby.org.uk/leeds/natstudcommresponse.htm|title="Leeds HMO Lobby"}} and were adopted into Otley Road crawls.{{cite web|url=https://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Article/2009/11/26/Publican-Local-Focus-Leeds-Little-London-lives|title=Publican Local Focus: Leeds - Little London lives|work=The Morning Advertiser|date=2009-11-26|last1=Wilmore|first1=James}}

Between teaching starting at LMU's Beckett's Park and the building of new University of Leeds student accommodation (halls of residence such as Weetwood, Cavendish, Tetley, and Bodington closing in favour of alternatives in and around city centre), the formal route ceased inclusion of central Weetwood and beyond and commonly headed south from Woodies' Ale House instead. With Woodies' (originally The Woodman) close to Beckett's Park and Lupton Flats, this route was similarly served by cheap "Green Zone"{{cite web|title=Bus Routes Information|date=2007-10-22|publisher=FWT|url=http://web.archive.org/web/20220705213338/https://democracy.leeds.gov.uk/documents/s18373/Bus%20Routes%20Information.pdf}} bus tickets.

Main road pubs such as the Dry Dock and The Feast and Firkin (which had an on-site microbrewery) were among those promptly adopted,{{cite web|url=http://digital.library.leeds.ac.uk/18909/1/LUA-PUB-002-LS-576_000.pdf|title=The Otley Run|work=Leeds Student|date=29 April 1994}}{{cite web|url=http://www.quaffale.org.uk/php/brewery/1451|title=The Firkin Brewery}} as were North Lane pubs such as Arc in due course.{{cite web|url=https://www.insidermedia.com/yorkshire/entrepreneur/martin-wolstencroft-arc-inspirations|title=Martin Wolstencroft - ARC Inspirations Entrepreneur}}

Many city centre bars and club nights{{cite web|url=https://inews.co.uk/culture/music/the-uks-lost-nightclubs-21385|title=The UK's lost nightclubs}} also began to compete for acknowledgement as an official end point.

The idea that followers of the modern run should start early and visit as many venues as possible rather than cover a greater area has prompted creation of a Cumulative Impact Policy in 2005 aimed at limiting the adverse effect of Headingley's new pubs on the surrounding area{{cite web|url=https://democracy.leeds.gov.uk/documents/s120252/CIP%20area%202%20App%20E.pdf|title="Cumulative Impact Policy - Headingley/Hyde Park"}} and quickly led to some pubs voluntarily setting up an informal warning network aimed at turning away visitors in fancy dress and in obvious large groups.{{cite web|url=http://digital.library.leeds.ac.uk/18915/1/LUA-PUB-002-LS-856_000.pdf|title=Otley Scum - Leeds Student, 13th May 2005}} Crackdowns on commercial interest in the Otley Run have been proposed{{cite web|title="Rough Deal For Freshers"|work=Leeds Student|date=2008-10-03|url=http://digital.library.leeds.ac.uk/19170/1/LUA-PUB-002-LS-921_000.pdf}}{{cite web|title="The Big Debate: No More Carnage?"|work=Leeds Student|date=2010-10-29|url=http://digital.library.leeds.ac.uk/19211/1/LUA-PUB-002-LS-965_000.pdf}} and University accreditation schemes have also threatened to look unfavourably on heavily promoted pub crawl events in general. In 2014 the Home Office proposed an Alcohol Impact Scheme aimed at student drinking{{cite web|url=https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/latest-news/top-stories/otley-run-could-be-banned-as-part-of-crack-down-on-binge-drinking-among-leeds-students-1-6649945|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140606055336/https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/latest-news/top-stories/otley-run-could-be-banned-as-part-of-crack-down-on-binge-drinking-among-leeds-students-1-6649945 |archive-date=2014-06-06 |title=Otley Run could be banned as part of crack down on binge-drinking among Leeds students|work=Yorkshire Evening Post}} with support from the NUS.

By 2022, the central focus of complaints had shifted from student sports societies to former students and visiting stag parties,{{cite web|url=https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1644175/Leeds-pub-crawl-crackdown-otley-run-turning-into-magaluf-row|title='Turning into Magaluf!' Row erupts as Yorkshire city pub crawl leads to call for crackdown|work=Express|date=2022-07-22}} with increasing involvement of police and pressure on pubs and bars to take action against anti-social behaviour among drinkers.{{cite web|url=https://weetwoodrose.co.uk/taking-action-on-the-otley-run|title=Taking action on the Otley Run|work=Weetwood Rose|url-status=dead|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20220723161709/https://weetwoodrose.co.uk/taking-action-on-the-otley-run|archive-date=2022-07-23}}{{cite web|url=https://www.weetwoodrose.co.uk/otleyrun|title=A safer Otley Run|work=Weetwood Rose|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240422115045/https://www.weetwoodrose.co.uk/otleyrun|archive-date=2024-04-22}}

Following an appeal to the original licensing rejection for conversion of the former Elinor Lupton Centre to The Golden Beam,{{cite web|url=http://www.woodswhur.co.uk/j-d-wetherspoon-plc-refused-appeal-in-leeds-magistrates-court/|title=J D Wetherspoon PLC refused appeal in Leeds Magistrates Court}} an updated application was accepted which stated that participants in the Otley Run would be refused entry.{{cite news |last1=Beecham |first1=Richard |title=Headingley Wetherspoons given permission – but Otley Run drinkers will be BANNED |url=https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/politics/headingley-wetherspoons-given-permission-otley-run-drinkers-will-be-banned-2002157 |access-date=7 July 2021 |work=Yorkshire Evening Post |date=27 February 2020 |language=en}}

• Subcrawl, Glasgow Subway
• Smithdown Road, Liverpool, Liverpool
• King Street Run, Cambridge
• Metro Pub Crawl, Newcastle Upon Tyne

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Category:Pub crawls

Category:Headingley