Kevin goes The Extra Mile

KEVIN Sinfield has chalked up more miles and more millions with his latest fundraising feat – running 101 miles in 24 hours.

The Grasscroft native pounded the pavements – and many other surfaces – on his ‘The Extra Mile’ challenge in the name of friend and former Leeds Rhinos team-mate Rob Burrow and people living with motor neurone disease.

By the end of the course from Leicester Tigers’ rugby union ground, where he works as defence coach, to Leeds’ Headingley, where he made himself a hero, he could hardly walk, never mind run.

Yet the day after everything hit him as he was ill after finishing, he was out conducting TV interviews and speaking to business leaders.

And after setting an initial target of £100,000, the total raised Leeds Hospitals Charity appeal to build the Rob Burrow Centre for MND and the MND Association is above £2.1 million to add to the £2.7 million raised last year.

However, it proved every bit as difficult as he thought it would be – a challenge which Burrow laughed at when he told him.

Kevin said: “It was certainly a battle – we wanted a battle and we certainly got one.

“But Rob knows how much we love and care about him. For those really dark moments you have to think of Rob.

“Rob just burst out laughing when I told him, which was the response I expected. He thought it was hilarious, which was great.

“We’re really proud to represent two charities and certainly that big number seven on our back.”

The idea of running 101 miles, in 7km legs over 24 hours, was actually born from a suggestion by Kevin’s wife Jayne.

Kevin was joined by former team-mates Jamie Peacock, Jamie Jones-Buchanan, Barrie McDermott and Keith Senior on legs of his run.

Ex-Labour Party spin doctor Alastair Campbell and England Women’s football star Gemma Bonner also completed stages alongside him.

Former Notts County footballer David Needham completed a leg using his hand bike while Sue Lodge, who is also living with MND, rang the bell to start him off on a leg at 5.40am.

But the final mile – the extra mile – was done alongside Burrow’s wife Lyndsey and daughter Macy, with him challenging the youngster to a race over the finish line, where the man himself was waiting.

After agreeing to the challenge, it meant strenuous training, which often saw Kevin pounding the streets of Saddleworth – and beyond – in the early hours

Kevin added: “My wife came up with, ‘How far is it from Leicester to Leeds? Why don’t you run from club to club?’

“We did a 12-hour training stint, which was 52 miles, and it was pretty brutal but it was important we went there.

“She thought I was crackers though when I said, ‘I’m going for a 12-hour run, starting at 3am,’ but she gets it.

“But for Rob and everyone else in the UK who is being challenge by MND, to see other people willing to go to those dark places is pretty powerful.”

Now he is getting over the exertion, Kevin believes more money should come to the cause and he believes the Government will come good on its promise to add £50 million into research of MND.

Even though the pledge is huge news for people living with the condition, with a campaign spearheaded by Burrow, rugby union star Doddie Weir and footballer Stephen Darby, he had to go further.

Kevin added: “The Government pledge is wonderful. The campaigning that has gone on from Doddie, Rob and Stephen has been incredible.

“Without those three being so brave and courageous, I don’t think it would’ve come through.

When the news came through, I was thinking, ‘Do I have to run now?’ but the reality is yes, we did.

“That £50 million only covers half of the issue. We want to find a cure, things that enhance people’s lives and keep them on this Earth that bit longer.

“But the other side is that care, support, love and kindness the Government doesn’t provide. That funding isn’t for that, so we’ve got to keep banging the drum.

“The signs are positive and you can only take people by their word. There’s been enough smoke, I just hope it comes through.

“You’ve three guys there who’ve been inspirations for all of us. For the hard work they’ve done and for how little this disease has been funded for 30 years, it needs it.”