A charity champion who was awarded a British Empire Medal for his fundraising earlier this month is taking on his latest epic challenge this weekend – a 24 hour relay run between Freshfield and Hightown Railway Stations on the Merseyrail Northern Line.
This will be his THIRD major Running The Railways fundraiser.
Alex Rigby won the Sefton Charity Champion Award at the Pride Of Sefton Awards in 2024, after he ran between all 37 Merseyrail train stations on the Northern Line, raising £27,000 for the Centre 56 charity.
Last year he went even bigger, running between all 69 train stations on the full Merseyrail network, covering 107 miles, and raising over £50,000.
Now Centre 56 Fundraising Officer Alex Rigby has announced that he will be leading a team of runners who will be looking to complete a 5k run every hour, on the hour, for 24 hours, covering the route between Freshfield and Hightown train stations in a 120km relay challenge.
This will be the third iteration of the fundraiser known locally as Running the Railways.
Starting at 5pm today (Friday 26th June 2026), the team will collectively complete almost three back‑to‑back marathons, with a goal of raising at least £1,000 for every hour they run, ending at 5pm this Saturday (27th June 2026).
Alex is hoping to take the amount he has raised for Centre 56 over three years past the £100,000 mark.
This year’s run will be sponsored by Clan Contracting Ltd and organised in partnership with Merseyrail.
It is being organised by Alex, who lives in Bootle and plays cricket for Ainsdale Cricket Club in Southport.
With domestic abuse cases rising across Merseyside, the team of runners taking on the 2026 Running The Railways challenge are aiming to raise £24,000 to help Centre 56 support families to build futures free from abuse.
Centre 56 Fundraising Officer Alex Rigby said:
“We have great facilities at Crosby Coffee and the Hightown Hotel in the Hightown end as well as at Kiosk coffee, the Good Catch chippy and the Beer Station at the Freshfield end.
“Come and enjoy the nice weather and support the runners!
“I am really excited for the run and looking forward to seeing a lot of familiar faces!
“I have raised over 105,000 so far across all three events and have raised £20,000 so far in this one. If anyone would like to donate I’d be delighted.
“This should be another great celebration but most importantly stay safe, drink and fuel appropriately.
“It’s been incredible to see how our community has rallied behind these challenges over the past few years. Re‑imagining the ‘Running the Railways’ idea means more people can get involved, whether they want to walk or run a single 5k, volunteer, or simply cheer the team on – it’s going to be a really inclusive event open to all fitness levels and abilities.
“Every person who supports the fundraiser will help us provide safety, stability and hope for children who have lived through trauma.”
For more than 50 years, Centre 56 has provided specialist family support and nursery care for children aged 2–12 who have experienced domestic abuse or crisis situations in Liverpool.
The fundraiser comes in the wake of new research highlighting the scale of the crisis facing families across the region.
A recent study commissioned by Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell found that demand for domestic abuse services has now outstripped supply. The report, produced by Women’s Aid and Liverpool John Moores University, highlighted that more than 117,000 people experience domestic abuse in Merseyside each year. These people are predominantly women and children.
Jen Gavin, Finance Director and Co-Owner at Clan Contracting Ltd said:
“Our paths crossed with Alex in 2024, and it has been a meeting of minds entirely.
“In February 2025 Clan Ran the Railways with Alex. The impact of this event was so far reaching.
“The immediate and obvious benefit of the funds raised towards the amazing work at Centre 56 was clear for all to see but what really struck us at Clan was how this event brought people together and inspired us to do and be more.
“Alex told us he was taking on a new challenge for 2026, and it was a no brainer. Clan are right there by his side and are absolutely thrilled to be this year’s headline sponsor.”
Neil Grabham, Managing Director of Merseyrail said:
“Running the Railways has become something really special. Across the first two events, nearly £80,000 has already been raised for Centre 56, helping the charity provide care, stability and hope for children and families who need it most.
“It’s fantastic to see the challenge return once again, with a sea of yellow T‑shirts alongside Alex as Merseyrail colleagues volunteer their time to run, support and stand with the cause.
“Centre 56 does vital work in our communities, and we’re proud to be part of an event that brings people together to shine a light on that work and help it continue.”
The need for Centre 56’s services has never been greater. Violence against women and girls has recently been declared an epidemic in the UK. National figures from Refuge show that one in four women will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime, and one woman is killed by a partner or ex‑partner in England and Wales every five days.
To find out more about the challenge or donate, please visit: Centre 56: Running the Railways 3 – On the Hour
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