A fundraising champion who has wowed people with his incredible running challenges says being awarded a BEM in the King’s Birthday Hours is “something I could never have imagined in my wildest dreams”.
Alex Rigby has now raised over £100,000 for the Centre 56 charity through his Running the Railways challenges.
Centre 56 is a domestic abuse charity which supports families who have experienced abuse or who are in crisis.
Alex has been a huge supporter of the charity, and last week was awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) in the King’s Birthday Honours, in recognition of his outstanding services to charity – and he’s not done yet, with his latest 24-hour challenge due to take place between Freshfield and Hightown Train Stations later this month!
Alex, who lives in Bootle and plays cricket for Ainsdale Cricket Club, was awarded his BEM following his remarkable fundraising efforts through Running the Railways events in 2024 and 2025.
The ultra-marathon events raised more than £100.000 for Centre 56, a Kirkdale-based charity supporting families affected by domestic abuse, as part of Merseyrail’s Charity of the Year programme.
The nomination was jointly made by Merseyrail and Centre 56, reflecting the impact Alex’s extraordinary fundraising has had on families across the region.
Alex Rigby said: “To be recognised by His Majesty the King with a British Empire Medal for services to charity is something I could never have imagined in my wildest dreams.
“The Running the Railways challenges have now raised over £100,000 with 74 different relay representatives getting involved, from businesses, CICs, community groups and even charities.
“When I joined Centre 56 I wanted to raise the profile of this special nursery and get people talking about domestic abuse.
“I took huge inspiration from Sri Kevin Sinfield who has raised over £11,000,000 for MND Association , taking on many incredible running challenges and bringing a country together.
To be on the same honours list as one of my greatest inspirations leaves me completely speechless and grateful.
“What matters most to me is that this award allows us to keep talking about Centre 56.
The work we do to support families and children is incredible and I have seen first-hand, the impact the funds raised have had on so many people’s lives.
“None of this has ever been just me, achieving something like this really is a team sport.
To all my family, thank you for always backing me. It means so much.
“My good friend Jack who has been a vital part of every run keeping me safe and making sure everything has gone smoothly and of course Hannah , thank you for your support and patience you have been truly amazing.
“To everyone who’s been part of Running the Railways, whether you sponsored, ran, donated or supported us, thank you.
“You’ve been part of something that I will remember for the rest of my life.
“To everyone at Merseyrail , thank you for giving me the platform to make a real difference, Merseyrail have helped shine a light on a small charity in Kirkdale and for that I will be forever grateful, Merseyrail really is at the heart of the community.
“I’m really proud of what we’ve achieved together, but we’re not done yet.
“Running the Railways 2026 – On The Hour, is just 10 days away, and we go again.
“If you want to get involved or support the cause, I’d love to have you with us.
“Thank you all once again, your support means the world to me.”
Alex Rigby won the Sefton Charity Champion Award at the 2024 Grand Pride Of Sefton Awards at The Grand in Southport, after he ran between 37 different Merseyrail train stations in a single day, raising over £27,000 for Centre 56.
Building on that success, it was recently confirmed that Running the Railways 2026: On the Hour will take place at the end of June.
Starting at 5pm on Friday 26 June 2026, Alex will lead the team to collectively complete almost three back-to-back marathons, with a goal of raising at least £1,000 for every hour they run, finishing at 5pm on Saturday 27 June 2026.
The challenge will see participants complete a 5k run every hour, on the hour, for 24 hours, covering the route between Freshfield and Hightown stations in a 120km relay.
The event will once again see participants take on a unique challenge across the Merseyrail network, with all funds raised supporting Centre 56 and its work with families across the Liverpool City Region.
- Donate here: Centre 56: Running the Railways 3 – On the Hour 🏃♂️
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