Kevin Sinfield finishes seven-day ultramarathon fundraiser

Kevin Sinfield has completed a seven-day ultramarathon challenge to raise money for motor neurone disease causes in memory of his former Leeds Rhinos teammate Rob Burrow. Sinfield crossed the finish line at Old Trafford in Manchester before the Super League Grand Final. He later carried the trophy into the stadium, arriving at about 17:00 BST.

The challenge began in Hull on September 27 and took Sinfield to all 12 Super League clubs. Each day was divided into seven-kilometre, hour-long blocks, with an additional mile available for members of the MND community to join. Sinfield and his team have raised more than £13m for the MND community through their annual challenges since 2020.

The latest funds will support the MND Association, Leeds Hospitals Charity, the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, the Darby Rimmer Foundation, MND Scotland and the Irish MND Association. Addressing the crowd, Sinfield said the rugby league community had supported people affected by MND and that Burrow would have been proud of that backing. Burrow died in 2024.

Burrow’s wife, Lindsey, told BBC Radio 4’s PM that her husband would have been proud of Sinfield. She described the achievement as bittersweet because Burrow was not present to see the final challenge. Sinfield, 45, spent his professional career with Leeds Rhinos.

He and Burrow met at the club’s academy and went on to win seven titles together. Sinfield was joined along the route by sporting figures and members of the royal family, including the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Princess Royal.