Rob Burrow shows his amazing character as he talks about “one of the best days of my life”

Rob Burrow was always known as the joker in the Leeds Rhinos squad.

Although he is fighting Motor Neurone Disease, as he spoke to BBC Look North this week after running the Rob Burrow Marathon with Kevin Sinfield, he was in fine form with one or two uplifting jokes showing the character of the man.

He joked that he had now “retired” from marathon running and that people would be jealous of the kiss Sinfield gave him as he carried him over the line.

“The marathon was one of the best days of my life and to be part of it was amazing,” Burrow said.

“By the time I was finished with the run I felt like I’d been running the whole way, it really did take it out of me but I would do it again in a heartbeat.

“I’m so happy to be involved in the first one of my marathons but I don’t think I will be in the race for the next one as I have retired.

“It was a great day and to be carried in over the final few yards with Kev was incredible and how many people will be jealous that I got a smacker on the cheek?

“It just shows the love and care he has for me and I can assure I have the same for him.”

Of course, he had to praise his Super Woman of a wife Lindsey as well:

“Of course my wife smashed it, I knew she would because she is the most determined girl I have ever met. When she gets something like this in her mind there’s no stopping her.

“I’ve never bene so proud of her than on Sunday and the amount of money raised in her name is testimony to her, the money keeps going up and I’m so glad she’s getting the attention she deserves.

“I’m one proud husband and I love her so much.”

Lindsey herself said:

“I was probably the proudest wife running there just seeing the amount of people that had Rob or the number seven on their back and the support from the crowds, I’ve never experienced anything like it.

“For me I’m just a working class ordinary mum and so I know obviously I’m Rob’s wife, but to have that support and outpouring of love for Rob meant I just wanted to do my bit.

“I’m absolutely blown away and thank you so much to everybody whether you’ve donated £1 or £100, every penny helps and I’m so grateful.

On what could be next, she said: “I don’t know, I’m sure there will be some more challenges. People keep coming up with ideas and you kind of think ‘where do they get these ideas from for the different ways to fundraise’, but I’m sure there’ll be something in the pipeline or Kev will come up with another crazy challenge at some point.”