An inspirational young football fan from the Greater Manchester area is taking on an incredible running challenge this summer in an effort to help bring sports for those with disabilities to his local team, Altrincham FC.
21-year-old Joseph Adams is an Altrincham superfan with a massive heart and an even bigger love of the beautiful game, and he will soon be tasking himself with a demanding feat of fitness in the hope of helping bring football to his home club for supporters who have special needs.
Diagnosed with Down Syndrome, Joseph has taken part in many adapted sports from football and dancing to skiing, rugby and more, even winning multiple gold medals including one at the 2023 UK Down Syndrome National Swimming Championships.
It’s safe to say that this is a cause very near and dear to both Joe and his family; so, in an effort to help deliver support for special needs activities through Alty FC, the die-hard young Robins fan is setting himself the task of running ten 10ks in a total of ten different countries over the course of just five days.
Joseph has had a defiant and determined attitude to everything since he was a kid. (Credit: GoFundMe/Supplied)
Taking on what he has called the ‘No Limits‘ challenge in the coming weeks, Joseph is aiming to raise a total of £250,000 in order for Altrincham to hire a dedicated disability sports officer role this year.
ADVERTISEMENT
As a non-league football club and even with the recent backing from more than 20 new investors, the local Trafford-based outfit obviously doesn’t have unlimited resources, so fundraising efforts like these are their only option.
With that in mind, Joe, his parents and two sisters will be completing the running challenge in less than a week as part of the club’s growing Community Sports charity arm to help establish a programme for children and adults with special needs.
ADVERTISEMENT
Having already raised well over a whopping £176k of his overall target, his ultimate goal is to broaden the programme to provide further support, training and employment opportunities for adults with disabilities across the local area and beyond Altrincham too.
Speaking about the excitement of his upcoming challenge, Joseph said: “I’m really looking forward to visiting lots of countries and running with my family and I can’t wait for a beer at the finish! […] Think Race Across the World meets Hardest Geezer! I don’t know if I can do it but I am going to try my best.”
⌛️ The countdown is on for 𝗝𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗽𝗵'𝘀 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 – 𝗡𝗼 𝗟𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘀 💪
It was France for training this week, and yet another fundraising milestone has been reached 😍
Dad Phil Adams said of his inspiring son: “When Joseph was born, his Mum and I were told about all the things he wouldn’t be able to do because he has Down Syndrome, but we vowed to take a no-limits approach to what he could do and 21 years later, we couldn’t be prouder of him…
ADVERTISEMENT
“Ironically, he hates running and hadn’t really tried before taking on this latest challenge but what we’ve all learned over the years is that Joseph has been able to achieve a huge amount more than we might have expected when we ignore perceived wisdom.”
A number of Manchester-based businesses such as Castore, Travel Counsellors, Houlihan Lokey, DMR, FK Group and Farrat have lent their support to Joseph’s Challenge and the No Limits campaign, including Altrincham FC’s own official front-of-shirt sponsor, AO.
Founder and CEO, John Roberts alongside his wife Sally, have donated a generous £30k between them to the cause, with Roberts commenting: “The sky really is the limit and Joseph is living that philosophy in spades. He’s an inspiring young man and every one of AO’s 3,000 employees wishes him every success.
The youngster’s incredible journey will conclude as he passes the finish line of the Altrincham 10k on Sunday, 1 September. You can do your bit to help by donating to Joseph Adams and his incredible running challenge, which will help provide important access to sport, HERE.
It has to be said, there is a very wholesome buzz around the J Davidson Stadium lately.
Latest wave of ‘Evening 4’ Ricky Hatton lineup in memory of the legendary Manc boxer announced
Danny Jones
Manchester is set to host a night of remembrance and celebration in honour of the late, great, local boxer, Ricky Hatton, and now a superb second wave of names has been added to AO Arena’s lineup.
Coming this summer, the legendary Manchester arena – where Hatton enjoyed so many of his iconic moments – will be holding the first-ever ‘Evening4Ricky’ later this year.
Held at the legendary sports and live entertainment venue just in time for summer, we still only know bits and pieces about what’s in store, but a whole host of familiar Manc faces, famous British names, and figures from the world of sport have now been announced.
Sharing the news on social media, AO Arena said: “Join us for an unforgettable night of entertainment as Manchester comes together for Evening4Ricky.
“This will be a spectacular, unique celebration of the life, spirit and legacy of one of the city’s most beloved icons – Ricky ‘The Hitman’ Hatton.”
With seats priced at £25, fans are being encouraged to join the early bird sign-up to secure access to discounted tickets.
As you can see, now confirmed for the evening are the likes of Man United legend, Paul Scholes, darts icon Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor, as well as fellow former boxers like Frank Bruno, Tony Bellew and more.
Local band, The K’s, were already confirmed as part of the in-person performances, but now the likes of Manc grime artists Bugzy Malone, fellow UK rapper Tinie Tempah, and The Lottery Winners are joining in, too, alongside loads more live music and entertainment set to be revealed in the coming weeks.
They go on to add: “Hosted at the legendary AO Arena, home to so many of Ricky’s big fights, featuring a superstar cast of legends from the worlds of boxing, music, comedy and entertainment.”
So, we do at least know there’ll be some famous faces coming along to help make it a memorable Manc moment, just a few months on from the city and beyond uniting for his public funeral procession.
Ricky was beloved not only by the Greater Manchester community but was a popular figure and friend to many in the sporting and showbiz industries.
The homegrown ‘Pride of Hyde‘ tragically left us on 14 September 2025 at the age of just 46, but his passing has once again helped reassert the importance of having more conversations around wellbeing, suicide prevention, and most specifically, men’s mental health.
You can find more information and see how to grab tickets right HERE.
This isn’t the only charitable in memoriam event happening across the region in the coming weeks, either, as Mancs will be gathering to pay tribute to another fellow inspiring sportsman.
Manchester’s cross club running social returns for 2026 and biggest summer party yet
Danny Jones
Greater Manchester’s now annual cross club running social is BACK for 2026, and 2026 is set to be the biggest to date, making the most of the summer vibes.
We’re already getting very excited for this one.
The Cross Club Social (XCS) first began in 2023 and continues to grow each year, with the organisers continuing to push the budget right to its limits in order to bring the Manc running community one big, beautiful and utterly brilliant bash.
Booking larger venues and putting together an even better schedule each and every year, marathon season is done for most of you – now it’s time to give yourselves a proper, well-deserved break.
Set up by local runners and DJs turned summer social specialists like Dave ‘Macca’ McLaughlin, the upcoming Cross Club Social is the fourth edition of what has now become the go-to post-race season party.
Toasting not just everyone’s incredible achievements following the likes of the Manchester and London Marathons, but also celebrating the local running culture and various clubs as a whole, it really is the perfect opportunity to reap the rewards after months of training – i.e. with lots of drinks and dancing.
With help this year from Manchester Road Runners‘ (MRR) very own social secretary, Gemma Moore, and some fresh branding from Ancoats Run Club (ARC) member Jack Collier, the programming and full schedule look slicker and more jam-packed than ever.
There’ll be live sets not just from Macca but lots of other talented and cult favourite local DJs, karaoke, a big pub quiz, giveaways and more; in fact, there’s even set to be tiny talks, panels and other mini-mixers within the event itself.
Now spread across three whole rooms at Fairfield Social Club (FSC) over in the Green Quarter, there’s room for all kinds of fun to be had, but the big win is the beer garden, which XCS will be taking over in its entirety. You love to see it.
Before we go any further, it’s also worth mentioning that this small setup is only run by a few, very dedicated and passionate people who love two things: running and partying, which is what makes their charitable efforts even more moving.
As it has done in the past, CCS ’26 will be teaming up with The 24-Hour Run Against Homelessness, who raise money for the region’s homeless population on behalf of the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity, amassing well over £70k last year alone.
That being said, part of your already very reasonable ticket price goes towards supporting this cause, with early bird tickets priced at just £11.25 (including booking fees), the second release for £13.45, and the final batch still only £15.65.
With lots of clubs already signed up to take part, including MRR, the recently rebooted ‘Just A Run Club’, ARC, Levy Runners, Slow Run Club, Run The Streets – who’ll be hosting an optional social 5k to start the day – and many more, if you’re a runner based in the area, you don’t want to miss this one.
Once again, they’ve got the full venue to themselves all day long, and everyone is welcome; you can secure your spot at Cross Club Social 4 right HERE.
Danny Jones -
13th August 2024 
