7-in-7-in-7: Kevin Sinfield plans new MND fundraising challenge in honour of Rob Burrow

Credit: Leeds Rhinos
The 7 in 7 in 7 Challenge will be the fourth time Sinfield has embarked on an endurance challenge to raise awareness and money for MND sufferers and their families. Credit: Leeds Rhinos

Rugby legend Kevin Sinfield will again put his endurance to the test as he embarks on his "toughest challenge" to support those impacted by motor neurone disease (MND). Sinfield, 43, raised more than £2.5million through his 7-in-7 event, when he ran seven ultra marathons in seven days a year ago.

The former Leeds Rhinos captain, and England rugby union coach, is now planning a new fundraiser dubbed 7-in-7-in-7, when he will run an ultra marathon every day for seven days in seven cities around Great Britain and Ireland. Each run will cover an average of over 40 miles and include an "extra mile" as Sinfield encourages others to do the same.

Sinfield said: "Physically this will be my toughest challenge as I have not been able to do the amount of training that I have done previously because of my commitments for the [Rugby Union] World Cup and we have set an ambitious time target to complete each ultra so people know that we will be pushing ourselves to the limit."He added: "For the MND community, every second counts and we will be making the most of every step on this challenge to raise awareness, funds and support for that community."

Since 2020, Sinfield has helped to raise over £8million with three endurance events, inspired by former Leeds Rhinos team-mate Rob Burrow, who was diagnosed with MND in 2019.

The 7-in-7-in-7 Challenge will raise money for five charities which support and care for people affected by MND and their families.Sinfield will start the challenge on 1 December, with the first leg running between Headingley Stadium and York Minster.

Rob Burrow: 'Kev will always be my captain'
Burrow and Sinfield completed the Leeds Marathon together in May 2023. Credit: PA

Day two will see the team travel to Cardiff, finishing the day's run on the pitch at half-time of the Championship game between Cardiff and Scarlets at The Arms Park.They will also run through Birmingham, Edinburgh, Dublin, Brighton and London, completing the seventh challenge on The Mall in the capital on 7 December. Special guests will join Sinfield for every day's extra mile and he will aim to complete each run in under four hours.

Sinfield and his team have set a target of raising £777,777.

Tanya Curry, chief executive of the MND Association, said: "After three incredible challenges, our patron Kevin Sinfield is once again demonstrating his unwavering commitment and passion to raising awareness and funds in the fight against MND."

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