A fundraising champion with incredible stamina has raised £30,000 for the Centre 56 charity by completing a 24 hour relay run between Freshfield and Hightown Railway Stations on the Merseyrail Northern Line.
Alex Rigby, who was awarded a British Empire Medal for his efforts in June, was supported in his gruelling 120km relay challenge by a cast of volunteers who joined him in completing various legs of the challenge.
Starting at 5pm on Friday, 26th June 2026, the team collectively completed almost three back‑to‑back marathons, ending at 5pm on Saturday, 27th June 2026.
They were supported along the way by being able to call in and enjoy 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.
This year’s run was sponsored by Clan Contracting Ltd and organised in partnership with Merseyrail.
It was 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 were determined to help Centre 56 support families to build futures free from abuse.
Alex, the Centre 56 Fundraising Officer, raised a total of £27,207, with Merseyrail subsequently donating an additional £2,793 to round up the total to £30,000.
It follows Alex’s previous challenges where he raised £30,000 through running between all 37 train stations on the Merseyrail Northern Line in 2024, after which he won the Sefton Charity Champion Award at the Pride Of Sefton Awards at The Grand in Southport.
In 2025 he went further still, running between all 69 train stations across the full Merseyrail network, covering 107 miles, raising £56,300.
It brings the total Alex has raised through his Running The Railways challenges to an incredible £116,300.
Alex Rigby said:
“I am delighted to announce that the final total for this year’s Running The Railways challenge is an incredible £30,000 and we couldn’t have done it without you.
“Over the past three years, these challenges have brought together friends, families, community groups, businesses, charities and CIC’s for one great cause, to help support a special charity in Kirkdale, called Centre 56.
“When I first joined Centre 56 three years ago, I wanted to find a way to raise the profile and spread awareness around domestic abuse.
“I find that bringing people together to do something that we all enjoy is the best way of doing that, over the three events we have now raised a grand total of £114,507 with over 77 organisations taking part and thousands of miles being run, walked and cycled across the Liverpool city region.
“There are so many people who have helped make these events a huge success and without you these challenges are just a run.
“I can’t thank you all enough for the support, it means so much to me and everyone at Centre 56.
“Thanks to you, we are able to help support so many more families who need it most.”
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.
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