Leeds Rhinos legend Kevin Sinfield insists that former teammate Rob Burrow is still “front and centre” of his fundraising efforts as he prepares for his latest 7 in 7 marathon challenge, in honour of his best mate.
This year’s event, dubbed 7 in 7: Together, will be the sixth annual fundraiser that will see him take on an epic challenge to raise money and awareness about Motor Neurone Disease, the condition that Rob Burrow was diagnosed with in December 2019.
Rallying around his close friend and former Rhinos teammate, Kevin Sinfield made a promise to Burrow that he’d ensure a certain amount of money was raised ahead of Christmas 2020, something which ultimately led to the creation of his incredible challenges.
Once again, Sinfield and his team will run seven ultra-marathons across seven days in seven different regions of the UK and Ireland, all in order to spread awareness and raise money with over £10 million raised from previous efforts.
That’s helped create and open the Rob Burrow Centre for MND and Sinfield, who spoke to the press ahead of his latest challenge which begins on December 1st, has explained that Burrow and the concept of going on a run for a mate remain at the heart of the challenge.
The Leeds Rhinos legend said: “It’s been our strapline from when we started and Rob is still front and centre and although he isn’t with us anymore, he certainly is in spirit.
“We represent the full MND community, especially those we’ve lost along the way but the families come out and support us and play a part and this one is called 7 in 7: Together.”
One week to go! This time next week, Kevin Sinfield will have started his next epic challenge
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Kevin Sinfield confirms 2026 7 in 7 plans as admission over future made
This year marks a decade since Kevin Sinfield retired, bowing out as part of the 2015 treble winning side and that obviously means that he is ten years older and the 45-year-old has admitted that he’s unsure of what comes next after next year’s seventh and final challenge.
“The plan is to do seven of these and I’ll stick to that,” he confirmed, adding: “We’ll do one more next year but then I’m in this for life so what it looks like beyond next year, I’m not sure myself yet.
“I know I’ll continue to do something and we’ve obviously got the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon, which is a big legacy piece for us and certainly for Rob but I will continue to fundraise of raise awareness in probably a less public way.
“I think I’ve done about 70 marathons now so I understand that at some point my knees might stop working and it needs to look different but I’ve made a commitment to this community and I’ll see that through.”
Those incredible efforts so far have helped raise millions of pounds and with that, advanced the research levels into MND and Sinfield offered an update on the progress made.
“There’s been plenty of progress. I think with the advances in technology and AI now, it’s only a matter of time before there’s a major breakthrough,” he explained.
“I’m really confident of that but right from the start, the challenges weren’t just about finding a cure but for those who are living with MND now, we’ve got to make sure their journeys are better.”
“MND doesn’t know any boundaries” – Why upcoming 7 in 7 Challenge will break new ground
Part of making the journey of those living with MND better is simply getting recognition with the disease still unknown to many, and that’s one of the reasons why Kevin Sinfield and his team will take in a number of new regions on this year’s trip.
They will start out in Bury St Edmunds on day one before finishing at AMT Headingley, however, they’ll travel to Cork, Swansea, Sheffield, Workington and Dundee on the other five days with Sinfield noting that “MND doesn’t know any boundaries”.
He added: “It’s everywhere and it makes the challenge more difficult by moving around and spending four or five hours travelling but it’s been really important for us and it adds to the challenge for us.
“We want to show people that they can visit in places that don’t get the limelight and perhaps the love that they should, and for people in those areas to understand and show them that people right across the UK and Ireland are passionate about the MND community and the best way for us to show that is by turning up ourselves.”
His return to Headingley will obviously be an emotional one but Sinfield was asked to recall some of his favourite moments from previous efforts, picking out the Rugby League World Cup Final in 2022 as one but also explaining that some of the most lasting memories are the unspoken ones.
He admitted: “I think if you asked the team for a favourite moment, the vast majority would say arriving at Old Trafford at half time during the Rugby League World Cup final a couple of years ago when we ran from Edinburgh to Manchester.
“Some would describe York where it was almost Charles Dickens-esque when we ran up to York Minster but there are so many small individual moments.
“Those have all been fantastic but a fleeting conversation with somebody with MND has had long-lasting inspiration for all members of our team at different points. There are special moments we get to share but some of those eye contact moments with people with MND have been so powerful for me.”
Kevin Sinfield will begin his challenge on December 1st and all the information on his challenge, the routes, what he’s raising money for, and how to donate, can be found here. A total of £324,000 has already been raised at the time of writing with the target £777,777 in honour of Rob Burrow’s famous shirt number.
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