6k Run Bradford: Scenic Adventure on the Alpkit Ilkley Moor Route

Route Overview & Local Insights

Starting from Wells Road in Ilkley, this 6.4km loop offers a quintessentially rugged Yorkshire running experience. With 230m of vertical gain, it’s a punchy "Category AL" fell-style route that wastes no time testing your climbing legs as you pick up the Dales Way Link. You’ll navigate a mix of paved sections and technical peat trails, passing the tranquil Ilkley Tarn before hitting the expansive moorland. The terrain is notably hilly—rated a 4—and involves a steep steady pull up toward the Badger Stone. Runners should be prepared for exposed sections above 500m where the weather can shift from sunshine to mist in minutes, making sturdy trail shoes and windproof gear essential for this Bradford adventure.

Ilkley Moor is perhaps most famous as the inspiration for Yorkshire’s "national anthem," but for the local running community, it is a legendary training ground for fell runners. This route takes you past significant gritstone landmarks like the Badger Stone, a massive erratic carved with prehistoric cup and ring marks that date back thousands of years. As you run these ancient paths, you’re following in the footsteps of Bronze Age settlers and generations of hardy harriers. The views from the upper reaches of the Keighley Road section are spectacular, offering a panoramic look across the Wharfe Valley that makes every meter of the 230m ascent feel entirely worth the effort.