Runners urged to sign up to Run for Redfern

Runners of all ages and abilities are being invited to take part in this year’s Run for Redfern, a 5k fundraising fun run in memory of late De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) graduate and colleague Adam Redfern.



People can take part in Leicester or complete the challenge by running 5k wherever they are in the world by signing up on this link. It costs just £5 to take part.

The Leicester event takes place on Sunday, March 10 and starts at Victoria Park, Leicester, and follows a route down New Walk and across DMU campus ending at De Montfort Students’ Union.



All money raised will go towards The Adam Redfern Memorial 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.

Rhys White, opportunities manager at De Montfort Students’ Union (DSU) said: “Adam was a huge voice in the DSU during his time as a student and as a member of the DSU executive, and the Run for Redfern is something we’re 100% behind. We’re looking to make this year’s event the biggest yet to raise money for the fund and raise awareness of cardiac risk in young people, and to enable more students to succeed through Adam’s legacy.”

The first ever ‘Run for Redfern’ was organised in 2022 by a close friend of Adam, DMU 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 DMU 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 DMU through scholarships, bursaries and monetary awards.

There are special prizes on offer for the club or society which has the highest number of entrants, and the club which has the biggest proportion of members entering the run to ensure smaller clubs can benefit.

Adam's parents, Christine and Ian Redfern, said: “The Memorial Fund is important to us. It is not only a means of ensuring that Adam’s legacy at DMU can be continued, but it also gives us a platform to highlight the risk of sudden cardiac failure in young adults. We stage two major fundraising events each year, of which Run For Redfern is one. They are always memorable occasions, as people come together to celebrate Adam’s life and raise money for the various projects that the Fund continues to deliver in his memory. We are looking forward to what is hopefully a big turnout and another day to remember.”

The run will start at Victoria Park in Leicester at 11am and will be finishing at the DMU Campus Centre steps, where the DSU is hosting a celebration event with refreshments. Run for Redfern T-shirts are also available to buy for £10.