Run for the 97 returns to Stanley Park this May and you can take part

Run For The 97 returns to Stanley Park in Liverpool on Saturday 27 May 2023 and you can take part.

Run fir the 97 returns for its ninth annual fun run event featuring 5K and 1 Mile distances.

The deadline for personalised run numbers is 5pm on Tuesday 25 April. Entries will remain open but standard numbers will be issued. You can apply for yours here.

Almost 500 places have already been allocated, including 100 virtual runners signing up from America, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, and Scotland.

Virtual runners will be sent their run number, T-shirt, and medal in advance so they can take part on the same day.

The event was first staged in 2015 as a positive community legacy event to celebrate and honour the lives of the then 96 Liverpool Football Club fans who lost their lives at Hillsborough on 15 April 1989.

Run For The 97 2022 — Credit: Paul Francis Cooper/BTR Liverpool

The event also remembers the families of The 97 and the survivors, who have since tirelessly fought for justice with the utmost dignity.

Last year the event was changed to Run For The 97 include Liverpool FC fan Andrew Devine, who sadly passed away in July 2021. Andrew received life-changing injuries at Hillsborough, he died 32 years after the disaster.

Run For The 97 takes place in Liverpool’s Stanley Park. It is located between Liverpool Football Club’s Anfield Stadium and Everton Football Club’s Goodison Park – providing the perfect backdrop for the event which brings together the red and blue sides of the city.

Run For The 97 provides a platform for participants – either taking part in person or virtually – to fundraise or for supporters to make a one-off charity donation.

The event has helped to raise more than £40,000 for good causes in the city since it was first staged in 2015.

The event’s official charities for 2023 are Jamie Carragher’s 23 Foundation, LFC Foundation, Everton in the Community, and Stanley Park junior parkrun. Together they support the vision of creating a legacy to honour The 97 while ensuring local communities benefit through their work.

More than £500 has already been raised through this year’s event. Monies raised will be split equally between the four charities to support vital community outreach programmes.

The official Just Giving online donation page can be found at https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/RunForThe972023

The event has been held each year since 2015, including during the Covid pandemic when virtual runs were organised in 2020 and 2021. Last year saw the event return to Stanley Park and virtual entries also continue.

Participants in the 5K are invited to collect their RFT97 technical T-shirt on the morning of the event to wear for the run. Those taking part in the 1 Mile are encouraged to wear a football shirt or club colours of their choice. Everyone will be presented with a Run For The 97 commemorative medal.

BTR Liverpool organise and deliver Run For The 97. BTR Liverpool is the leading independent organisation for creating, managing, and delivering headline running events across Liverpool City Region.

BTR Liverpool Race Director Alan Rothwell commented:

“Run For The 97 is a very poignant and uplifting event. On Saturday 27 May we will once again come together – red and blue standing side by side – as we walk, jog, or run to remember The 97 in a respectful and fitting way.

“The event provides a platform to raise money in memory of The 97. The funds are split equally between our four excellent official charities to support vital outreach projects and programmes in the local community – providing a positive legacy to remember the 97 Liverpool Football Club fans, their families, and the survivors.”

The Run For The 97 entry fee pays to stage and deliver all aspects of the event including run numbers, T-shirts and medals, virtual entries, as well as event day staging and facilities.