Charity, Europe, Leisure, Sport, United Kingdom

Save the Date for Community Legacy Event RUN for the 97

17 April 2026

Image credit: Image courtesy of BTR Liverpool/Erica Dillon

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Entries are now open for the Run For The 97 event, taking place on 23 May 2026 in Stanley Park, Liverpool. The event honours the 97 Liverpool FC fans who died in the Hillsborough disaster and raises funds for local charities. Participants can choose to walk, jog, or run, with both in-person and virtual options available.

Press Release

Friday 17 April 2026

Entries are open for community legacy event Run For The 97 – with five weeks to go to this year’s fun run.

The countdown is on to Saturday 23 May 2026 when red and blue football supporters will walk, jog, or run in Stanley Park for the 12^th staging of the special day.

The 5K fun run starts at 9.30am, followed by a 1 Miler at approximately 10.30am.

The event takes place in Stanley Park, located between Liverpool FC’s Anfield Stadium and Everton FC’s Goodison Park, the new home of Everton Women.

Registration is open at https://www.btrliverpool.com/97-5k-event which includes virtual entries.

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.

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 week’s anniversary 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. They continue to campaign for a Hillsborough Law.

Hillsborough family members and justice campaigners Margaret Aspinall, Steve Kelly, and Sue Roberts have all been involved since the event began.

Margaret Aspinall is the former Chair of the now disbanded Hillsborough Family Support Group (HFSG), she lost her 18-year-old son James at Hillsborough. Steve Kelly lost his brother Michael, aged 38. Steve helped to create and shape the event. Sue Roberts, former HFSG Secretary, lost her 24-year-old brother Graham.

The event provides a platform for participants to fundraise or to make a one-off charity donation. Since it was first staged, Run For The 97 has helped to raise over £45,000 for good causes in the city.

This year’s 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 two sister parkruns at The Mystery Park in Wavertree and Derby Park in Bootle.

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

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.

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 virtual run option has continued, allowing football fans across the UK and further afield to support the event. They are sent their run number, T-shirt, and medal direct so they can still be part of the day.

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

Just recently, BTR Liverpool organised the biggest ever Liverpool Half Marathon and 10 Mile Road Race which sold out at 15,000 places. Last weekend saw another sold out event for the BTR Mersey Tunnel 10K, with 4,100 runners registered to run under the River Mersey in one of the most unique events in the country.

The BTR Liverpool annual calendar of competitive races and fun runs take place between March and December. The portfolio also includes Liverpool Santa Dash, Port Sunlight Road Race 10K and 5K, 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.

Alan Rothwell, BTR Liverpool Founder, commented: “Run For The 97 is well established in the BTR event calendar. It is rooted in community and its legacy celebrates the lives and honours the 97 Liverpool Football Club fans lost at Hillsborough in 1989. It is paramount that we always remember, and through the event we can educate youngsters through sport.

“The event is inclusive and open to everyone. It’s heartwarming to see so many people walk, jog, or run and be part of the event, it’s not a competitive race. Run For The 97 is incredibly special – the day embodies inspiration, positivity, and real strength. Let’s Run To Remember The 97 on 23 May.”

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 Jamie Carragher’s 23 Foundation: Bootle born and bred Jamie Carragher created the 23 Foundation in 2009, naming the charity after the squad number he made famous while playing for The Reds until he retired in 2013. He made 737 appearances and scored five goals for Liverpool FC, and was capped for England 38 times. That was 15 years ago – and the focus has always been to support children and their families, and the wider community. On average, the 23 Foundation has supported more than 1,000 good causes every calendar year including supporting schools, sick children, foodbanks, hospitals, and other charities. Jamie has never forgotten his roots and has always been keen to support as many good causes as possible on Merseyside and around the world. The 23 Foundation raises money through the sale of memorabilia, fundraising events and donations, and has now developed into an organisation that supports other charities, clubs, and young people globally. The capital investment will never be spent, allowing the interest generated and monies raised to benefit young people for many years to come. In 2020, the charity helped more than 1,000 families, and supported foodbanks, hospitals, and NHS staff as part of the Covid-19 community support response. www.jamiecarragher23.com About LFC Foundation: The LFC Foundation is the official charity of Liverpool Football Club; delivering a range of programmes and partnerships to create life changing opportunities for young people and families in the Liverpool City Region and beyond. The charity focuses its work in six key impact areas: Community Engagement, Education & Life Skills, Employment & Training, Heath & Well Being, Sport & Physical Activity, and Youth Interventions. It delivers just under 200 sessions per week including work in schools, community hubs and on sports pitches. Last season the Foundation supported almost 123,000 people. For every £1 spent by LFC Foundation, they generate £13.32 of social value. Being part of Liverpool FC means being part of the greatest football family in the world. We look out for each other, and particularly those who are in need. Building on the Club’s work in the community, the charity was formed to harness the power and passion of LFC fans and supporters worldwide. Our mission is to create life changing opportunities for young people and families. The LFC Foundation delivers a range of initiatives, seven days a week, in parks, community hubs, classrooms, and on football pitches. www.liverpoolfc.com/foundation About Stanley Park junior parkrun Stanley Park junior parkrun is a weekly free 2K timed run at 9am every Sunday for children aged four to 14. The event is run entirely by volunteers. The junior parkrun initiative is part of the wider parkrun programme – and is a great fit promoting health, wellbeing, and sport to young people. Run For The 97 is also supporting Stanley Park’s two sister junior parkruns at The Mystery Park in Wavertree and Derby Park in Bootle. https://www.parkrun.org.uk/stanleypark-juniors/ 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:

Sat 23 May: Run For The 97 5K / 1 Mile Fun Run
Sun 7 June: Port Sunlight Road Race (10K / 5K / 1K Fun Run)