Track Restoration

Temple Newsam running track is a great, free asset to our running club and the local community.

Over the years, sadly it fell into disrepair but in the Summer of 2023, Crossgates Harriers, led the restoration project, with help from St Theresa's Athletic Club and other volunteers. We started by teaming up to repair and improve the track through volunteer days, rolling our sleeves up and getting jobs sorted.

Our next goal was to see the track resurfaced and fully restored to its former glory. This led to the inaugural Track Restoration Fund 10k on the 29th September 2024. Alongside all of the proceeds from our race, generous donations continue to be made to help achieve our goal. Enough funding has now been raised to see this goal to fruition.

After the success of last year's race and in order to continue raising fund for on-going maintenance costs, we hosted this year's race on Sunday 10th August 2025. Look out for a new addition to this year's event too, a Junior Fun Run!

You can help by:

Making a donation via our Crowdfunder page. As they say, every little helps!
Volunteering at the track days. No experience or tools are needed and, even if you can only spend an hour, that's great. Send us a message or check our socials for updates for the next date.
Sign up for our Track Restoration Fund Run 10k and Juniors' Fun Run. 100% of proceeds are invested back into the Track. We are also on the lookout for sponsors and donations for goody bags and raffle prizes. Please get in touch if you can help!
Give us a like, follow, and share our work on your socials. Tell the world to get behind us! The more people we reach, the bigger difference we will make. Information on the track, volunteer days, and fundraising progress is regularly updated on the Temple Newsam Track Facebook page.

Temple Newsam Athletics Arena Community Involvement in the Restoration

Crossgates Harriers and St Theresa's Athletic Club

The history around the construction of the track is hazy. It has, in the past, been used for prestigious athletics events and a grainy picture exists on the Leodis photographic archive site of an exhibition tennis match. Indeed, urban legend tells of a failed bid for Leeds to host the Commonwealth Games. Local people always remember (not always fondly) being brought as children for school sports days. They could point to where the now demolished changing room facilities once stood.

What is clear however, is the current popularity of the arena. Aside from the football pitches, there are local running clubs who carry out training schedules with their members. Indeed, most days, individual runners can be seen taking in personal sessions to boost their ‘feel good’ factors or undertaking ‘Couch to 5K’ sessions. Many young children have been taught to ride a bicycle on the track where they can be confident of a flat, traffic free environment.

What was becoming evident was that the track needed much TLC. Outside lanes had become overgrown and potholed. Vegetation had grown through long jump pits and tree branches were overhanging the area.

As the running community in the area we felt we could do something to reverse the decline. We felt that this should be returned to a cherished local amenity. Working with the Council has proved positive with a lot of support and an initial £500 injected for tools and materials for the volunteer days from the local councillor.

We've had dozens of volunteers from across the generational ranges and the business sector to assist clearing the track.

Thankfully the weather has been kind and tons of soil were taken from the track which looks much better having this community effort. In the longer term, we would love to work with the Council to apply for grant funding to resurface the track. Even if this were to mean reducing the potholes and resurface the track to improve the current environment.

With this, we have raised Crowdfunding Page (titled Temple Newsam Track Restoration) to seek the £29,000 needed to resurface track.

Check out what we have achieved so far and also the publicity received:

Nicola Runs - This Race Almost Didn't Happen! Temple Newsam Track Restoration Fund Run. An Awesome Trail 10km!

Run Leeds Review of the Track Restoration Fund Run 10k -

https://www.instagram.com%2Fp%2FDNNyAj4MsBd%2F%3Figsh%3DMTFvcHQ1YXptYmZrdg%253D%253D%26fbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBEwcm9zOXFqVXJhVGk0NEE5UwEe06KhZuocIHXY4YwrbjaEd6oZ6mBqX3LqoLGFPbtW-Ml0fQ9gjm3bI9NzKWo_aem_SfQi2mXbYIE4itSsarDBSA&h=AT3r6TeGf13io4eRoYU7V87TC3N2KtxbOmmdlMOcQrdV0y6TQ1-QFxXXFDcJzQzpnmVX4kYjT_8qChmBluxOE2UqbCIHqqeSi-VvggKvyrOF9P8Szt6L0hGVrguFIQP5eL8

Yorkshire Evening Post - Dismay after 'idiots' abandon burnt-out car on refurbished Leeds running track

Burnt-out car discovered on refurbished running track in Leeds - BBC News

Look North - BBC One - Look North (Yorkshire), Evening News, 09/08/2025

West Yorkshire Sport Daily - Temple Newsam track restoration update - BBC Sounds

BBC Radio Leeds Sports Show interview about the Track Restoration, our Community Club of the Year Award, and Restoration 10k & juniors run.

The full audio interview is posted on -

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0lq7hct