Lindsey Burrow's marathon fundraising in honour of husband Rob passes £77,777

Lindsey Burrow has raised more than £77,777 in honour of her husband Rob after taking part in the inaugural marathon staged in his honour.

Lindsey was one of more than 12,000 people who signed up for the first ever Rob Burrow Marathon in Leeds on Sunday, 14 May.

In recognition of the number seven worn by Rob Burrow as a player at Leeds Rhinos, she initially set a target of £7,777 to contribute towards a new motor neurone disease (MND) research centre in the city.

But by Tuesday morning she had surpassed that figure by £70,000.

Speaking after crossing the line, Lindsey said: "It was tough but I set out to get the job done and thinking of Rob and what he was going through kept me going."

Sunday's marathon was launched following Rob Burrow's high-profile campaign to raise awareness of MND after his own diagnosis in 2019.

The condition affects the brain and nerves, causing weakness that gets progressively worse over time. There is currently no cure.

Burrow has almost completely lost mobility and communicates using an eye-controlled computer.

He was pushed around the 26.2-mile course in a wheelchair by his friend and former teammate, Kevin Sinfield, who carried him across the line in emotional scenes at the end of the marathon.

An official online fundraising page shows that the marathon has raised almost £1.5million for the MND Association.

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