A series of runners joined forces to race for the Elsie’s Story charity at the Liverpool Half Marathon on Sunday (23rd March 2025) as they were praised for their “incredible strength, determination, and teamwork”.
Runners from across Southport and beyond all took part, including Southport MP Patrick Hurley.
It was the latest in a series of fundraising events taking place to raise money in memory of Elsie Dot Stancombe.
He mum, Jenny Stancombe, said: “It has taken me all day to try and find the right words, and to be honest, I still don’t have them, because no words will ever truly capture how incredibly grateful I am to every single one of the AMAZING Elsie’s Story runners who took on the Liverpool Half Marathon.
“The strength, determination, and teamwork you all showed were nothing short of incredible.
“The way you lifted and encouraged each other along the way was so special. Every tap on the back, every ‘Come on, you can do it!’ to each other, every voice in the crowd shouting encouragement to the Elsie’s Story runners, it was all a true testament to the spirit of this community.
“The months of training, the energy and passion you brought on the day, it was just POWER. “David and I felt every possible emotion in one day, and we’re still feeling it now (though maybe not quite as much as some of you are feeling it in your legs!).
“But wow, how proud are we to be part of this incredible community? We had runners from Southport, across Merseyside, and all over the country come together, and I am beyond grateful.
“I always said there was no expectation of additional fundraising, but wow, once again, you all did something truly amazing. I’ll be doing a total in the coming days, but the generosity and determination you’ve shown to raise funds has completely blown us away. A huge thank you to everyone who donated, you are helping us write the pages of Elsie’s Story.
“So, even though I’ll never fully be able to put it into words, thank you, from the bottom of our hearts. You did our community proud. You did Elsie proud. You did yourselves proud. And we achieved exactly what we set out to do: showing up in force to prove that evil will not win. Love and positivity will always shine through for those three beautiful girls.
“A huge thank you to @beccabrooksphotography for capturing the day through your amazing photos . Also to the most patient, understanding and extremely generous @stedodd1 at @youpersonalise for providing all the T-shirts and bags, helping to turn our runners into the amazing Elsie squad they were and of course @fitnesslabuk for being our designated collection point.”
Elsie’s story was launched last year in memory of Elsie Dot Stancombe, who was seven years old when she was one of three young girls killed at The Hart Space in Southport on 29th July 2024.
When they launched Elsie’s Story, her parents, Jenni and Dave Stancombe said: “We want to continue Elsie’s ‘story’; her positivity, love for others and energy of life…..
“The Trust has been established with the principle objective being to make grants to causes in Elsie’s name, the focus of which will be assistance to young people and support for others in the community and across the region.
“This will include community projects, medical care and support for individuals and families, good causes involving fun, and bringing the community together.”
“Elsie was the most caring and generous little girl and we have promised to not let this awful tragedy be in vain and creating this trust is the start of this.”
- For more details about how you can support Elsie’s Story visit: www.justgiving.com/elsiesstory
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