This time last year Kevin Sinfield completed seven ultra-marathons in just seven days and raised over £2.2 million for motor neurone disease (MND) charities. And, the Leeds Rhino legend is back to take on a new challenge. Since his ex-teammate Rob Burrows was diagnosed with MND back in 2019, he has raised millions for the charity.
The rugby star has announced plans for a new challenge to support those affected by MND. The 7 in 7 in 7 Challenge will see Sinfield run an ultra-marathon every day for seven days in seven cities in December. Starting with Headingley to York Minster on December 1st.
The second day would see the team travel to Cardiff, with day three in Birmingham, day four in Edinburgh to Murrayfield. He and the team will then head to Dublin for day five and finishing in Brighton on the sixth day. The team will round off the challenge on the 7th December running from Twickenham Stadium to the Mall.
As he announced his new challenge the Leeds Rhino legend said: “Here we go again. I did say last year that the Ultra 7 in 7 would complete the trilogy, but there was always that caveat that Rocky 4 was my favourite Rocky film,” the BBC reports.
Each of the 7 in 7 in 7 runs would be done in cities around Great Britain and Ireland and would be a marathon plus another mile to signify the extra mile people go to to help friends in tough times, according to Sinfield.
Sinfield aims to complete each run in under four hours and says this new challenge would be “physically my toughest”.
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Appearing on BBC Breakfast alongside Burrow, Sinfield said: “We are really looking forward to it. There are 100 reasons why we shouldn’t go again. But there are 5,000 reasons why we should.”
He continued: “The biggest reason is sat right there,” reffering to former teammate Rob Burrows. He’ll be raising money for five charities during this 7 in 7 in 7 Challenge. including the appeal for the Rob Burrow Centre for MND in Leeds.
Donations would also be made to the MND Association, My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, the Irish MND Association and the Darby Rimmer MND Foundation, and the 4ED campaign in order to support former Gloucester and Leicester Rugby Union player Ed Slater.
Esther Wakeman, chief executive of Leeds Hospitals Charity, said: “Kevin has always gone the extra mile for Rob and the MND community. His unwavering commitment to support the fight against motor neurone disease is truly awe-inspiring.
“Through his series of epic challenges, Kevin has already contributed over £2m to our Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Appeal.”
Tanya Curry, chief executive of the MND Association, said: “After three incredible challenges, our patron Kevin Sinfield is once again demonstrating his unwavering commitment and passion to raising awareness and funds in the fight against MND with this fourth challenge.
“The fundraising from his previous challenges has helped us expand our services and invest in vital research into this devastating disease.”
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[Featured image: Kevin Sinfield/Just Giving]
