Rugby league legend Kevin Sinfield has declared that the powerful memory of his late friend and teammate Rob Burrow will be the driving force behind his latest monumental fundraising challenge: a gruelling 217-mile run across the UK and Ireland.
A Legacy of Hope: The '7 in 7' Challenge Returns
Sinfield, 45, is set to undertake his fifth consecutive '7 in 7' challenge, which involves running the distance of seven ultramarathons in just seven days. The former Leeds Rhinos star will cover 31 miles every day, starting in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, on Monday and culminating with a final leg from York to Leeds in West Yorkshire.
This year's ambitious goal is to raise an additional £777,777, a poignant tribute to Rob Burrow's iconic Rhinos jersey number. Since Burrow's diagnosis with Motor Neurone Disease in 2019, Sinfield's incredible efforts have already amassed more than £10 million for MND research and support.
Signs from a Friend: Drawing Strength from Memories
Since Burrow's tragic passing in June 2024, Sinfield revealed he continues to feel a connection to his friend through small, everyday signs that spur him on. He shared that during his training runs, he often glances at his watch to see a display of sevens or spots car registration plates featuring the same significant digits.
"It's not unique for me to be out running, look at my watch and it has all the sevens on it," Sinfield said. "There's stuff like that that happens to me all the time and they are nice memories to have. I only think of Rob in a really positive, inspiring, fun way... But certainly in the tough moments, I'll think of him and he'll drive us on."
He acknowledged the emotional difficulty, adding that dwelling on his loss for the entire week would be overwhelming, but that Burrow's spirit would be a crucial motivator during the most challenging parts of the run.
Uniting a Community: The Route and Its Impact
The 2025 challenge is designed to engage the MND community across the nations. The daily route is as follows:
- Day 1: Bury St Edmunds to Ipswich
- Day 2: Cork, Ireland
- Day 3: Swansea, Wales
- Day 4: Sheffield, England
- Day 5: Workington to Whitehaven
- Day 6: Dundee, Scotland
- Day 7: York to Leeds
Each day's ultramarathon will be broken down into 7km (4.3 miles) blocks, which Sinfield must complete within the hour before starting the next segment. A key feature of this year's event is the invitation for members of the MND community to join him for one mile each day.
"Bringing the MND community together has been fantastic for us," Sinfield explained. "For those families to share in these moments, when you have spent so much time alone is great. To see the support, the awareness, to see the fight and inspiration... has been brilliant."
The immense public support has been a cornerstone of the challenge's success. Sinfield emphasised that without it, the feat would not be possible. The fundraising has already led to tangible change, with the recent official opening of a specialist MND centre named after Rob Burrow by the Prince of Wales, partly funded by Sinfield's previous efforts.
Looking to the future, Sinfield expressed a desire to see the impact replicated nationwide. "It's been great for the people of Yorkshire that we got this centre... but that's just in Yorkshire. If you could pick that centre up and move it across places in the UK and Ireland, that would make such a difference."
