Meet the Liverpool man who ran 7 ultramarathons in 7 days for three local charities

A Liverpool man has run an incredible seven marathons in seven days to raise more than £6,000 for three local charities.

Adam Dixon covered a total of 208 miles and notched up an average of 29.8 miles a day, travelling from Hornsea to Southport along the Trans Pennine Trail.

It was, he says, the hardest thing he has ever done.

But he adds:

“Although my legs hurt and it’s hard being on your own with no-one to talk to for so long, giving up was never an option. 

“It was a big challenge, but it feels good to have raised that amount of money for the charities.”

Adam, from Crosby, goes on:

“I have had chance to reflect on it and feel a sense of satisfaction.

“But I’m one of those people who can’t sit still – so that’s it done and now I’m already planning my next one!”

The 33-year-old running and challenge manager for Alder Hey Children’s Charity completed his epic feat between August 18-24, having decided to take it on only eight weeks before.

“We were in the office planning a similar event next year for Alder Hey, a 48-hour relay run along the full-length of the Trans Pennine Trail for our mascot Oli the Elephant.

“There’ll be 24 teams of four to 10 people with one person wearing the mascot costume for a 10-mile stretch and then handing over the baton, so I said I’d do it to make sure it could be done.”

Adam, who has a one-year-old son Ezra with partner Hannah, said he’d not considered how tough it would be until a week before he was due to set off.

That said, he’s a keen runner who’s no stranger to testing himself having undertaken other challenges in the past, including:

* A 24-hour gym workout

* A calendar club challenge in July 2020 where he ran a kilometre for each corresponding day of the month, starting at one and ending with 31

* Bike rides including the London to Paris, and London to Amsterdam events, and more.

“I like a challenge,” he smiles. “And I like to set myself big goals.

“There are two reasons why I do it and one is because of my job. I would never ask someone to do something if I’m not prepared to do it myself; I like to relate to people who are doing amazing things for Alder Hey. I like to speak to them and tell them about my experiences.

“For me personally, it gives me a bit of headspace and clarity.  When I push myself and do these challenges it is tough, but I feel I learn a lot about myself. And whenever big things get thrown at you in life you can go back to those challenges and think ‘do you know what, I’ve done hard things already’.

“And I want to make my boy proud.”

The three charities Adam has chosen are Alder Hey Children’s Charity; The Owen McVeigh Foundation in Liverpool which creates amazing memories and experiences for children with cancer, and Rainbow Hub in Mawdesley, Lancashire, which provides children and young people with physical disabilities as a result of a neurological condition or brain injury with rehab services to help them reach their full potential.

“Alder Hey is obvious because I see the impact of fundraising every single day, and likewise The Owen McVeigh Foundation who we work very closely with and see the amazing work they do.

“I chose Rainbow Hub because of a best friend whose little lad goes there. Again I’ve seen the work they do and the lives they give to these children.”

In three weeks Adam will be tackling the Great Wall of China as part of a group of 25, ‘and that’s exciting’, and there are loads of Alder Hey Children’s Charity fundraisers to come including a Santa Paddle Christmas-themed kayaking challenge in the Albert Dock at the end of November,  a virtual challenge in October asking people to run 120km throughout the month, and Cycling from Vietnam to Cambodia in 2026.

As Adam eases his aches and pains from the seven ultramarathons and looks forward to his next endurance test, he says: “I just want to thank everyone who has supported me, from the people who’ve kept donating to keep me going throughout the challenge, to the complete strangers who washed my running gear halfway through.

“It was the end of day three in Doncaster and I was in the pub having my one pint of Guinness that I had at the end of every day to congratulate myself, and I got talking to fellow charity workers who were celebrating one of their little girl’s first birthday.

“I’d only got enough kit to last three days so on day four it was going to be stinking. 

“So they washed it and brought it back to me, and it was a really wholesome thing to do that gave me a real boost.”

Help Adam and his three charities here.

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