It was almost impossible not to be moved by the emotional scenes at the end of the inaugural Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon on Sunday. Having pushed his great friend, after whom the event is named, 26.219 miles around the course in a specially adapted wheelchair, Kevin Sinfield stopped a couple of metres before the finish line. He then unstrapped Burrow, lifted him out of his chair, and gathered him into his arms to ensure they completed the course together.
Having carried him across the finish line, Sinfield gave his pal a kiss of affection and returned him to his seat. Teammates on the field for Leeds Rhinos, England and Great Britain for so many years, the pair once again combined spectacularly to the cheers of the crowd.
My colleague James Moore today wrote eloquently about how the image made him wince, and his worry that it could unwittingly cause disabled people to be subjected to unwanted help – and unwanted touching – in everyday life. That legitimate concern is why it’s important to stress that this moment was entirely consensual, two teammates working together to create an unforgettable image, based on a trust built on 20 years of friendship honed in the furnace of an elite sporting environment.
It was not intended to diminish Burrow, or imply any form of helplessness – quite the opposite, in fact. This was a celebration of everything the pair have done to raise both awareness of, and money for, motor neurone disease (MND) since Burrow was diagnosed with the degenerative disease in late 2019 – just two years after retiring from a 17-year rugby league career. Building on the great work started by former Scotland rugby union international Doddie Weir, the pair have raised more than £8m for MND charities, with the 42-year-old Sinfield completing a series of incredible physical challenges.
In 2020, he ran seven marathons in seven days, chosen because seven was Burrow’s shirt number. The following year, he aimed to run 101 miles from Leicester, where he was coaching rugby union side Leicester Tigers, to Leeds in 24 hours, but he got lost twice en route, so ran 104 miles instead. Then, in 2022, he completed a scarcely comprehensible seven ultra-marathons in seven days – covering 40 miles per day, and finishing the challenge at half-time of the men’s Rugby League World Cup final to a rapturous reception at Old Trafford in Manchester.
So, where does he get his inspiration to complete these tests of endurance? “I do it because that’s what mates do,” he has previously explained in his typically understated manner.
During his playing career, Sinfield was nicknamed “Sir Kev” by Leeds Rhinos fans – and frankly, it’s high time that moniker was made official. Forget the seven Super League titles, two Challenge Cups and three World Club Challenges that he won on the rugby pitch: Sinfield undoubtedly deserves a knighthood for everything he’s done for MND charities.
He was awarded an OBE for his campaigning and charity work in the 2021 birthday honours list but, inexplicably, no upgrade was forthcoming in the most recent new year honours. That has to change in the near future.
It may be an imperfect metric, but a petition on change.org to “give Kevin Sinfield a knighthood” has garnered more than 42,000 signatures, and as petition creator Mel Handforth wrote: “We need to publicly appreciate people like Kevin. He embodies teamwork, not only on the field for Leeds Rhinos, but more so off the field with his absolute dedication to raise awareness and money for Rob Burrow and others suffering from MND.”
Sinfield has used his platform to effect real change, as shown in his comments after he and Burrow were honoured at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards late last year. Decrying the delay on the part of the government in producing a promised £50m to fund MND research, Sinfield said: “MND is not incurable, it’s just underfunded. There are people dying – families are being ravaged, and that just isn’t right. I can’t see any valid reason, there isn’t a reason, why that money is being held back.”
Following that event, the money has now started to be released.
Aside from the vast amounts of money for MND they’ve raised, along with awareness of the disease, Sinfield and Burrow have also provided a commendable example of male friendship. Two men from the hyper-masculine, alpha world of a sport like rugby league being so open about their companionship and love for each other is an important, and sadly all too rare, sight.
The Leeds Marathon aimed to raise funds for the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Appeal and the Leeds Hospitals Charity, as well as a host of other causes. Ahead of the race, Sinfield thanked those involved for “creating something so incredible in Rob’s name”. He also described the event as “a celebration of friendship”.
In fact, friendship was at the heart of the whole event. “I ran the London Marathon three weeks ago, and everyone wants to know what your time was,” explained Sinfield. “But this, it doesn’t matter how long it takes. The longer it takes, the more time I get to spend with Rob.”
It is not my place to comment on the worthiness of all those currently in line for knighthoods and damehoods, but in a world crying out for laudable public role-models, I can safely say that few honours would be more justified than the man from Oldham being officially dubbed Sir Kevin Sinfield.
