Charity, Europe, Events, Sport, United Kingdom

Runners Encouraged To Save The Date As Entries Open For Run For The 97 2027

13 August 2026

Image credit: Image courtesy of BTR Liverpool / Picture by Erica Dillon

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Entries are now open for the Run For The 97 event, scheduled for 29 May 2027, which honours the 97 Liverpool FC fans who died in the 1989 Hillsborough disaster. The event, featuring a 5K fun run and a 1-mile run in Stanley Park, aims to celebrate the lives of the victims and support their families and survivors. Funds raised will benefit local charities, and participants can join in person or virtually from anywhere in the world.

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The confirmation of the 2027 Run For The 97 date maintains its established place in Liverpool’s annual calendar, continuing its role as a community event of remembrance and solidarity. With entries now open, the run again provides an opportunity for participants locally and internationally to unite in honouring those lost at Hillsborough, alongside their families and survivors. The event’s accessibility and inclusive ethos have helped it attract broad support from across the football community, as well as from local charities and public figures.

For many in the region, the timing of the run—scheduled just before the close of the football season—reinforces its connection to Liverpool’s sporting and civic identity. The ongoing involvement of key campaigners and the inclusion of virtual participation options reflect both the event’s adaptability and its sustained resonance nearly four decades on from the tragedy. With fundraising continuing to support local outreach through its charity partners, the event remains a significant fixture for those wishing to contribute to the legacy of The 97 and the wider community.

Press Release

Wednesday 12 August 2026

Entries for next year’s Run For The 97 are now open.

Now the Premier League fixtures have been released, the date for event day can now be confirmed.

The date has been announced as Saturday 29 May 2027 – the day before the final fixtures of the 2026/2027 football season.

The community legacy event honours the 97 Liverpool Football Club fans lost at Hillsborough in 1989.

It features a 5K fun run and 1 Miler and takes place in Stanley Park – appropriately located between Liverpool FC’s Anfield Stadium and Everton FC’s Goodison Park, the new home of Everton Women.

Online entries are now open at https://www.btrliverpool.com/events/run-for-97-5k/

Run For The 97 was first staged in 2015 as a positive inclusive event to celebrate the lives and honour the 97 Liverpool Football Club fans who died at Hillsborough on 15 April 1989. This year marked 37 years since the disaster.

The event also remembers the families of The 97 and the survivors, who have since tirelessly fought for justice with the utmost dignity. Their most recent campaign has been for the introduction of the Hillsborough Law.

This year’s event in May saw more than 1,650 adults and children taking part across the two distances.

It was the 12^th staging of the event, which is embraced by both the red and blue sides of the city. Runners also travelled from Ireland, Denmark, Norway, and Switzerland to take part.

The event is supported by Hillsborough family members and justice campaigners Margaret Aspinall, Steve Kelly, and Sue Roberts – who have all been involved in Run For The 97 since the very beginning. They all attended on the day.

Guests on the day also included former Liverpool Football Club players Jamie Carragher, Chris Kirkland, and Sammy Lee; Nicola Carragher; Matt Parish, CEO of LFC Foundation; Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram; and Ian Byrne, Labour MP for Liverpool West Derby and co-founder of Fans Supporting Foodbanks.

Run For The 97 official charity partners are Jamie Carragher’s 23 Foundation; Liverpool Football Club’s official club charity LFC Foundation; and Stanley Park junior parkrun and its three sister parkruns at The Mystery Park in Wavertree, Derby Park in Bootle, and Norris Green.

The trio of beneficiary charity partners support the vision of creating a legacy to honour The 97, while ensuring local communities benefit through their work. Funds raised are split equally between the charities for vital community outreach programmes.

The 5K accessible route takes runners through Stanley Park, along Walton Lane, Priory Road, Arkles Lane, back into the park before passing the Eternal Flame on 97 Avenue at Anfield Stadium, before heading to the finish line in the middle of the park.

The entry fee pays to stage and deliver all aspects of the event including run numbers, T-shirts, medals, virtual entries, event day staging, safety measures, and runner facilities.

Runners who cannot attend in person on event day, can still be involved with a virtual entry, enabling them to take part wherever they are in the world.

Virtual participants are sent their run number, T-shirt, and medal ahead of event day. International participants this year took part in Australia, Canada, Demark, Germany, Hong Kong, Singapore, and the USA.

Run For The 97 is organised by BTR Liverpool – the leading organisation for creating, managing, and delivering headline running events across Liverpool City Region.

Alan Rothwell, BTR Liverpool Founder, commented: “Run For The 97 is the most poignant event in the BTR portfolio. It brings together young and old, red and blue, to honour The 97, their families, and the survivors. We must always remember, and educating the next generation through sport is a fitting way to do this.

“The event is accessible to all, the route is wheelchair friendly and follows the main pathways through Stanley Park. Everyone is welcome as we walk, jog, and run to remember The 97.”

Run For The 97 has continued every year since 2015. During the pandemic it went ahead as a virtual run in 2020 and 2021, ensuring people could still support the cause and fundraise.

The BTR Liverpool annual calendar of competitive races and fun runs take place between March and December. The portfolio also includes Liverpool Half Marathon, Liverpool Santa Dash, Mersey Tunnel 10K, Port Sunlight Road Race 5K and 10K, Women’s 10K and 5K Liverpool, and Wirral 10K.

In 2025, BTR Liverpool and its successful portfolio of events was acquired by Run For All. Mass participation events company Run For All is wholly owned by the Jane Tomlinson Appeal, and continues to honour her ongoing legacy.

Next up in the BTR race portfolio is the Women’s 10K and 5K Liverpool in Sefton Park on Sunday 6 September 2026.

For full details about the event visit www.btrliverpool.com

Notes to editors

About Run For The 97: Liverpool fan Dom Williams is the man behind the Hillsborough-Anfield Run, which was first staged in 2012. The original idea for Run For The 97 came from Liverpool FC fan Dom Williams, who had organised a number of team charity walks between Liverpool and Sheffield. For three years, the annual challenge saw a small team of runners from across the country come together for a challenging 96-mile three-day run between Sheffield and Liverpool. During this time, the team raised funds for the Hillsborough Family Support Group; Hillsborough Justice Campaign; Alder Hey Children’s Hospital; and The Children’s Hospital Sheffield. The group later reduced the distance to 75 miles between Hillsborough and Anfield which they completed for three years. Dom was approached by people who wanted to support the team’s efforts but were unable to commit the time to the challenge – which prompted his idea to create an inclusive event. Dom approached independent run event organisers BTR Liverpool in January 2014 and discussions began to plan and deliver the public event which took place for the first time in April 2015. When the event was first staged in 2015 it was called Run For The 96. In 2022 the event was renamed Run For The 97 to now include and honour LFC fan Andrew Devine, who sadly passed away in July 2021. Andrew received life-changing injuries at Hillsborough, he died 32 years after the disaster. About Run For All and BTR Liverpool: In 2025, Run For All acquired BTR Liverpool, bringing together two highly respected organisations with a shared commitment to delivering high quality, inclusive, and sustainable running events across the UK. BTR Liverpool is the leading organisation for creating, managing and delivering headline running events across Liverpool City Region. Established in 2006, BTR Liverpool stages a number of major annual events that continue to grow year on year, offering a diverse portfolio of distances and terrains while maintaining a strong focus on sustainability. The organisation is widely recognised for the quality of its event delivery, its close links with the running community, and its engagement with local charities. The event portfolio features Liverpool Half Marathon, Liverpool Santa Dash, Mersey Tunnel 10K, Port Sunlight Road Race 10K and 5K, Women’s 10K and 5K Liverpool, Wirral 10K, and Run For The 97 5K. Run For All is part of the lasting legacy of Jane Tomlinson CBE, who raised £1.85million for children’s and cancer charities before her death from cancer aged 43 in 2007. Despite being diagnosed with incurable cancer, Jane inspired people worldwide by completing extraordinary endurance challenges, including the London Marathon, Ironman and triathlon events, and a 4,200-mile cycle ride across the USA. Run For All delivers a broad portfolio of successful mass participation events across the UK, including events in Leeds, Sheffield, York, Lincoln, Hull, King’s Lynn, Leicester and Bury, as well as the McCain Yorkshire Coast 10K. Its flagship events include the Leeds Half Marathon, Ramathon, Larking Gowen Ipswich Half Marathon, Sheffield Half Marathon, Altra Yorkshire Marathon Festival, and the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon. The acquisition of BTR Liverpool strengthens Run For All’s national presence and reinforces both organisations’ shared missions to inspire people of all abilities to be active, support charitable causes, and deliver outstanding running events rooted in their local communities. www.btrliverpool.com www.runforall.com BTR RUNNING EVENTS 2026:

Sun 6 September: BTR Women’s 10K / 5K Liverpool
Sun 11 October: BTR Wirral 10K
Sun 6 December: BTR Liverpool Santa Dash (5K / 1K Mini Dash)

BTR RUNNING EVENTS 2027: