SADDLEWORTH’S own Kevin Sinfield has further cemented his status as a hero with an emotional ending to another marathon effort in a ‘celebration of friendship.’
The Leeds Rhinos legend picked pal and team-mate Rob Burrow up out of the wheelchair he had pushed him in for 26 miles and carried him over the finishing line of the Leeds event named in his honour.
That act alone sparked a huge national reaction, with many again making called for the Grasscroft-based legend to be knighted.
After achieving greatness in Leeds wearing the numbers 13 and seven before on the rugby league pitch, the two were part of a team of 12,500 at the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon on Sunday, May 14.
So far, more than £1.3 million has been raised for the Motor Neurone Disease Association, while other charities have benefitted.
But just like the challenges that saw him raise £7.5 million as his friend lives with the condition, it was running with a mate for a mate.
Sinfield said before the marathon: “Even if it was just Rob and I, we’d have a great time – there’s no better way to do it than with your mate. The fact people want to share in it and do their own little bit is incredible.
“This will be with mates, for mates and alongside mates, absolutely. Look across the world at big cities where marathons are run, there’s nothing like this.
“And the fact 12,500 people are taking part shows the affection Leeds has for Rob. We couldn’t have dreamed of getting this number.”
Sinfield was joined by several former Leeds team-mates on the course. Luke Burgess, who lost his father to MND, flew all the way from Australia to take part.
He helped Burrow around what was a ‘hilly’ course in a custom-made wheelchair but admitted he had not done nay training for it.
But he added: “That’s part of the challenge, doing something neither of us have done before. The unknown adds to the fun of it.”
Sinfield’s feats – seven marathons in seven days, a 101-mile continuous run in 24 hours and seven ultra marathons in seven days, from Murrayfield to Old Trafford – have been inspiring enough and he is a figurehead of the MND community.
Work as England rugby union’s defence coach may occupy many thoughts ahead of this year’s World Cup but he still receives messages from people and families living with the condition.
He was alongside other inspiring stories, like former triathlete Sam Perkins, of Leicestershire, who was pushed to raise funds and awareness for Stand Against MND (SAM).
Sinfield added: “For every 10 nice ones, you get a sad one as well. That just reinforces how much we’ve got to keep banging the drum, keep going and keep trying to shift the dial on it.
“It’s brought that MND community together, Wider than that, it’s brought communities together in that we can all do a little bit to help. That’s been a driving force for today.
“Every penny counts and every bit of awareness is important. My job’s to keep raising as much money as I can so the great minds in science and research can try to find a cure.
“The work Doddie Weir did made a huge difference. Teams are working together, that’s what this is about. We got to run as a 12,500 team and keep banging that drum.”
There is already a date for the 2024 Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon, May 12, and you can be sure Sinfield will be there.
He said: “We hope this will be something that becomes part of the running calendar across the UK and as long as I can run, I’ll be doing it.”
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