Sunshine Extravaganza is another superb friendly event brought to you by Its Grim Up North Running. 

Event covered all distances from 5k to Ultra so there is something for all ambitions & abilities - I ran the marathon. 

Marathon course was on good quality paths. It went from Kirkstall to Leeds, up to Saltaire before finishing back in Kirkstall. This course has plenty of PB potential. 

Finishers received a decent medal, beer & chocolate. There was also plenty of home baked cake which is a trait of IGUN events. 

** One minor criticism was the water stations - there were water stations but simply weren't enough of them. IGUN stated in pre-race briefing there only be 'emergency water stations only' which I found strange. IGUN events are couples but Issuing marshals with jugs of water can't be too hard. The day was extremely hot which made it a big struggle. Expecting runners to carry enough water to fuel a marathon or Ultra on such a hot day isn't fair or practical.Hope that area can be improved. 

Overall, it was a brilliant day. Massive thank you to organisers & marshals for a great event.

I've struggled with running lately, so I took a step back to build myself back up again. It's Grim Up North Running always hold events with multi distances. This race included a 5k, 10k, half marathon, 20 miler, full marathon and an Ultra. (I opted for the 10K)

As always with IGUN events, they are well organised and friendly. The route was along the Leeds / Liverpool canal starting and finishing at Kirkstall near Leeds. I really enjoyed this race and ran with a smile on my face. The weather was good, the atmosphere was good, and as always - the cake at the end was good.

IGUN events always provide a fantastic medal, bottle of beer/lager or cider, chocolate, and homemade cakes. As a bonus today - there was a BBQ.

Great value for money

'Canal Summer Canter' by It's Grim Up North (IGUN) is a fun event which takes place on Leeds/Liverpool canal with a series of distances from 5k - 32 Miles Utra. Races are chip timed, I was doing the marathon. I've done this race in the past so knew what to expect.

The course is entirely on good quality canal paths and apart from locks it's flat and fast so there's opportunity for PB chasers. The diffrent distances set off at diffrent tmes to avoid congestion. There were water staions every few miles which had water and nibbles,

The very nature of canal races means there is little in the way of crowd support however the races are out and back so there's plenty of encouragment from fellow runners

Finishers of all distances got a top quality medal, chocolate and drink (beer/lager/cider). As with all IGUN events there was a feast of home baked cakes and buiscuits at the finish but as an added bonus there was a free barbecue serving burgers, hot dogs, ect. There was a vegan option too.

IGUN races are fun and friendly. Highly recommended.

A lovely race, once again, with clear instructions at the beginning of who started first, in which direction, according to the distances different people were running. I appreciated jugs of water for those who'd brought their own cups - could we have jugs with Coke in later on in the race, too, perhaps?

The strawberry and cream shortbread rounds at the end were amazinng, as was the massive supply of prepared strawberries. There was a barbeque, too, but it wasn't clear to me that the burgers were free, and when I asked I was told they were £9.99 - perhaps it was fatigue, but I think Northern wit was lost on me with that, so I walked away, a bit confused. They smelled nice, though.

Many thanks to the two marshals who spotted I was 'having a funny turn' after finishing - they looked after me really well. I appreciated your kindness, thank you.

Absolutely love the Canal Canter. Have done it several times at different times of year and different distances. Love the Grim events. So friendly and generous with the cakes and goodies. It's a great route with lots to look at, so never boring. Fun in its own right and a great training run for a marathon too.