Sir Kevin Sinfield was joined by Sir Gareth Southgate, former England football manager, on the first day of his final challenge to raise awareness for Motor Neurone Disease (MND). The challenge, which started at Hull's Craven Park stadium, aims to complete seven ultramarathons in seven days in memory of his former Leeds Rhinos teammate Rob Burrow CBE, who died from MND in June 2024.
Sir Gareth ran a section of the challenge, ending at Market Weighton, and described the experience as "brilliant". Sir Kevin thanked supporters who lined the East Yorkshire route on day one, stating, "You come out to support us on a Sunday morning when we should all be at home having a brew and eating a bacon butty, so thank you for showing up, I really appreciate it."
Since his first annual challenge in 2020, Sir Kevin has covered over 1,000 miles and raised more than £11m for the MND community. This year's challenge involves covering at least 45km (27.9 miles) daily and will conclude in Manchester for the Grand Final on 3 October.
Craig Eskrett, diagnosed with MND in 2023, was among those at the start line and participated in an Extra Mile event. Jo Coker from the MND Association noted that Sir Kevin's events have been a "game changer" for the MND community, significantly increasing awareness levels.