Day 1 – Urban Sprint Race
Friday 12 July in Leith
Urban Sprint Race - Leith
Leith is an historic port area at the mouth of the Water of Leith in the north of Edinburgh.
After decades of industrial decline and resultant depopulation in the post-war era, Leith has seen an upturn in fortunes in recent decades with significant redevelopment of housing and office space and the arrival of tourist attractions such as the Royal Yacht Britannia.
Leith was named as the ‘fourth coolest neighbourhood in the world’ by Time Out in 2021. Leith has an asymmetric street plan and an eclectic mix of older and newer residential properties, including some significant blocks of social housing. The water front area has numerous shops and cafes whilst the Newkirkgate shopping centre is the main retail hub. The extensive parkland of Leith Links make it a popular recreation area.
Running surfaces for Courses 1-9 are mostly paved with some cobbles and limited grass, generally flat. Course 10 is entirely within the grassy Leith Links Park before a very short section at the end into the main Finish funnel.
Preliminary Details
- Type of event
- Sprint, urban
- Day Event Centre
- Leith Primary School, St. Andrew Place, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 7EG. Open from 9:30-15:00.
- Location
- 55.97068,-3.16859 ///toxic.angle.bleat
- Start times
- 11:30–14:00
- Starts
- There are two Start locations today. Course 10 will start in Leith Links 50m from the Day Event Centre. Under 12s should be accompanied by an over-16 to their Start. Courses 1-9 will start a 450m flat walk from the Day Event Centre. Space is tight at the Courses 1-9 Start and we suggest that you do your warmup at Leith Links and avoid arriving at the Start too early.
- Finish
- nearby
- Courses close
- 14:45
- Map
- New map for WOC 2024. 1:4000 and 1:3000, with 2.5m contours, mapped to ISSprOM 2019-2 v6 (GG maps).
- Food
- There are lots of shops, cafes and restaurants in the area. Please support these local businesses.
- Footwear/clothing
- Metal spikes/dobs are not permitted (or recommended). No restriction on clothing.
- Safety
- Courses 1-9 will cross tram lines once. The trams move slowly and silently but are not very long. Courses have been planned to give you a good line of sight enabling you to judge whether to cross in front or behind them. There is no time-out, please use common sense when crossing. Marshalls will be in the vicinity to watch for potential issues.
- Juniors
- Junior ages are ages on race day. Under 12s on 12 July 2024 can only do Course 10 unaccompanied. Under 16s on 12 July 2024 can do either Course 9 or 10 unaccompanied. Any adult shadowing must run their own course first.
- Planner
- Rudi Paul (STAG)
- Controller
- Crawford Lindsay (ESOC)
Provisional Course Lengths
| Course Number | Class | Length (km) | Climb (m) | Controls | Scale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | M18, M20, M Open, M35 | 4.5 | 15 | 28 | 1:4000 |
| 2a | M40, M45, M50 | 3.9 | 15 | 27 | 1:4000 |
| 2b | W18, W20, W Open, W35 | 3.9 | 15 | 27 | 1:4000 |
| 3 | M55, M60 | 3.5 | 15 | 20 | 1:3000 |
| 4 | W40, W45, W50 | 3.6 | 15 | 19 | 1:4000 |
| 5 | M65, M70 | 2.9 | 15 | 18 | 1:3000 |
| 6 | W55, W60 | 2.8 | 15 | 20 | 1:3000 |
| 7 | M75, M80, W65, W70 | 2.5 | 15 | 18 | 1:3000 |
| 8 | M85+, W75+ | 2.4 | 15 | 17 | 1:3000 |
| 9 | M/W Under 16 | 2.4 | 10 | 18 | 1:3000 |
| 10 | M/W Under 12 | 1.4 | 5 | 14 | 1:3000 |
Travel Information
Parking: Only limited on-street parking is available around Leith Links (200‒1000m from the Day Event Centre).
From outwith Edinburgh: Park at Newcraighall Park and Ride (charge payable) and take the #49 bus (3 an hour) to the “Summerfield Place” stop adjacent to Leith Links – check for height restrictions on tall vehicles.
From outwith Edinburgh: Park at Ingilston Park and Ride (free) adjacent to Edinburgh Airport and take the tram to the “Foot of the Walk”. Head east along Duke Street to Leith Links (400m).
From Pollock Halls: Take the #14 bus (3 an hour) from the “Commonwealth Pool” stop to the “Foot of Leith Walk”. Head east along Duke Street to Leith Links (400m)
From central Edinburgh: Take the tram from Princes Street to the “Foot of the Walk” stop. Head east along Duke Street to Leith Links (400m).
From central Edinburgh: Take the #25 bus (3 an hour) from Princes Street to the “Duke Street” stop . Head east along Duke Street to Leith Links (400m).
It is a 10-minute walk from the foot of Leith Walk to the Day Event Centre on Leith Links.