51Âþ»­

A special running event in honour of late 51Âþ»­, Leicester (51Âþ»­) graduate and colleague Adam Redfern is back for 2023 with a brand-new route uniting staff, students and friends at the heart of campus.

For runners of all abilities, this year’s ‘Run for Redfern’ fundraiser will take place on Sunday 5 March 2023, led by 51Âþ»­ Running and Athletics Club with a 5km route from Victoria Park in Leicester back to 51Âþ»­ Campus Centre steps, a place Adam was often seen.

All entry fees and money raised will go towards The Adam Redfern Memorial Fund - a fund established in memory of Adam, who died suddenly of a cardiac arrest while out jogging in March 2021. The fund aims to give students with a flair for media, journalism and sport the opportunity to boost their career opportunities.

Elgan Hughes, Head of Membership Services at De Montfort Student Union (DSU), said: “Running was a great passion for Adam and we are now looking to grow ‘Run for Redfern’ to raise awareness and money for students and staff at 51Âþ»­, as well as making 51Âþ»­ a Heart Safe campus.

“The hope is to have lots of people entering this year, creating as much awareness as possible of this fantastic cause and for a fantastic person.”

The first ever ‘Run for Redfern’ was organised last year by a close friend of Adam, 51Âþ»­ alumna Abi Battisto, who hoped to make the fundraiser an annual event, in her friend's memory.

Adam was, first as a Journalism student, then as a key member of the DSU and, finally, as part of 51Âþ»­ communications team, an integral part of the university’s community for almost a decade.

The Adam Redfern Memorial Fund enables students who share Adam’s passions to make the most out of their time at 51Âþ»­ through scholarships, bursaries and monetary awards.

Adam's parents, Christine and Ian Redfern, said: "Abi made a such a great success of the inaugural Run For Redfern in 2022, that the plan now is to make this a regular event in the calendar; to mark the anniversary of Adam's passing and raise awareness of cardiac risks in young adults.

"This year, with the valuable help of the Students' Union, 51Âþ»­ Sport and in particular the Running and Athletics Club, we aim to make the run one of mass participation and the entry fee has been set accordingly, to attract as many runners as possible, both from within the university fraternity and beyond.

 “Anyone who feels inclined to join us on 5 March and help to turn Victoria Park 'red' in memory of Adam, is very welcome to register for the event".

The run will start at Victoria Park in Leicester at 11am and will be finishing at the 51Âþ»­ Campus Centre Steps, where refreshments will be available.

In addition, 51Âþ»­ Running and Athletics Club will be leading a warm up session from 10:30am for anyone that wishes to join.

To enter, people are being encouraged to make a £10 donation to The Adam Redfern Memorial Fund which will cover the entry fee and a Run for Redfern t-shirt.

There is also a £5 donation option to enter the run, with all runners being asked to run in a red top of their choice, to run together in red for Redfern.

More information on how to enter and purchase a ticket can be found