Sir Kevin Sinfield has vowed to continue his fundraising efforts in memory of his late friend and team-mate Rob Burrow after completing the seventh and final ultramarathon challenge.
The former Leeds Rhinos player completed seven ultramarathons in seven days last week, crossing the finish line at Old Trafford in Manchester ahead of the Super League Grand Final. This is the seventh year that Sinfield has taken on the challenge in honour of Burrow, who died in 2024 after being diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease in 2019.
Seventh challenge raises over £1.4m
Sinfield first began the 7 in 7 challenge in 2020, looking to raise £77,777 for ex-Leeds team-mate Burrow and the MND Association. The number seven held a special significance to the pair. As well as being Burrow's jersey number at the Rhinos, it was also the number of titles the pair won together at the club.
In the last six years, Sinfield and his team of volunteers have raised over £13m for the MND community. The 2026 challenge has already raised over £1.4m.
Dubbed the Grand Finale, the seventh challenge will be the last of its current kind, with Sinfield admitting that it was time for his team of loyal volunteers to take a break.
Team of volunteers to step back
"The team, it was right we made this seven because seven felt right," he told BBC Breakfast on Monday morning. "The commitment from the team has been unbelievable. They're all volunteers. They all put so much time and effort into it.
"There's no events company or marketing company. It's 16 of us. I think I felt I needed to release, if that's the right word, disconnect, uncouple... I can't find the right term that has enough warmth for that group.
"Set them free... I'm not sure they want to be set free. We'll see. But I will be going again."
Plans for Down Under challenge
Speaking about what challenge he will take on next in memory of Burrow, Sinfield added: "It has to look different and it has to feel different. I made a commitment for life.
"I'm in this for life. There'll come a point where I can't run. The team didn't make this commitment. I'd like to go again. It has to look different. I'd like us to go Down Under. Since March this year, there's been a bit of a plan of going after Australia and New Zealand and doing a 7 in 7 there.
"Put the codes together - rugby league, rugby union, Aussie Rules. I've got a lot of friends over there who I think would be keen to support. MND is big over there, too. I think if we can go after this globally and pull countries together, we have a chance of curing it sooner."
Challenge route and supporters
The latest 7 in 7 challenge saw Sinfield start in Hull and visit the grounds of all 12 UK Super League clubs along the way. His efforts ended at the Super League final, where he was able to see son Jack help Wakefield clinch their first top-flight title since 1968.
Across the week, he was surprised by royals, including The Prince and Princess of Wales and the Princess Royal, as well as famous names from the sporting world such as former England football manager Sir Gareth Southgate and Leeds boxer Josh Warrington.
England head coach Steve Borthwick joined Sinfield - who currently works as a skills coach with England - on one day of the challenge, as did former England international Lewis Moody. Moody's involvement was particularly poignant, with the former Bath and Leicester flanker having himself been diagnosed with the condition earlier this year.
Each day was split into 7km, hour-long blocks with an additional extra mile for members of the MND community to join. Funds raised by the challenge will go towards the work of the MND Association, Leeds Hospitals Charity, My Name5 Doddie Foundation, Darby Rimmer Foundation, MND Scotland and the Irish MND Association.
Burrow's wife, Lindsey Burrow, told BBC Radio 4's PM that her late husband "would have been incredibly proud" of his close friend.
"It's bittersweet that Rob's not here today to see Kevin finish his final challenge but Rob will be with us in spirit and it's just testimony to Kevin that he's so humbled to do this not just for Rob but for the whole MND community," said Lindsey. "It's just incredible. I am in complete awe of the efforts of Kevin and his team over the last seven days, and not just over the last seven days but over the last seven years."
