Kevin Sinfield will set out on his latest super-human fundraising feat from Headingley on Friday morning with no end in sight to the initiatives which have so far raised in excess of £8million for research into Motor Neurone Disease.
The 43-year-old openly questioned his ability to continue pounding the streets prior to his most recent ‘7 in 7’ ultramarathon challenge last year, but says the overwhelming public support he has encountered is enough to push him forward for the foreseeable future.
Sinfield’s latest quest will take him from Leeds to York Minster on the opening day before six more back-to-back runs that will include visits to Birmingham, Brighton, Edinburgh and, for the first time in his series of challenges, Dublin.
Sinfield said: “Whilst my knees keep going, I will continue to do my bit and even then, when my knees won’t work like they should, we will find different ways of trying to raise money and awareness.
“We have been part of something that has been pretty powerful over the last couple of years and we are massive humbled by it.
“Last time we thought we shouldn’t go again, (but) on average three times a day people will stop me and tell me somebody they know has MND or someone has passed with MND, and they want us to keep going.
“The plan was to do three, but we haven’t got a cure, and we feel we can make a better impact on people’s lives who have MND, so why would we stop?”
Sinfield started his fundraising quest in support of his Leeds Rhinos team-mate Rob Burrow in 2020, when he ran seven marathons in seven days, and the following year he ran 101 miles in under 24 hours from Welford Road in Leicester to Headingley.
Last year, his ‘7 in 7’ challenge concluded on the pitch at half-time during the men’s World Cup final between Australia and New Zealand at Old Trafford.
The plan was to do three, but we haven't got a cure, and we feel we can make a better impact on people's lives who have MND, so why would we stop?— Kevin Sinfield
This year, Sinfield’s final leg will lead him from Twickenham Stadium to The Mall, the traditional finish of the London Marathon.
“I promised myself last time I did the London Marathon that I would enjoy the last stretch so I was able to take a fair bit in,” added Sinfield.
“It will be a bit different with cars and pedestrians, but when we get to that finish point, I am sure we will be pretty tired but pretty happy.”
