Rugby league legend Kevin Sinfield starts latest 7 in 7 Challenge
The England Rugby coach is running seven ultramarathons in seven days in honour of former Leeds Rhinos legend Rob Burrow
Last updated 1st Dec 2025
Kevin Sinfield will officially begin his latest endurance fundraiser for motor neurone disease (MND). Starting in Bury St Edmunds this morning, on the first of seven ultra-marathons across seven regions in seven days.
The former rugby league star is running more than 50 kilometres a day as part of his “7 in 7 in 7 Together” challenge, which aims to bring MND families together while raising money for charities across the UK and Ireland.
Today’s route will finish at Ipswich Town’s Portman Road Stadium at around 2.55 pm, in tribute to former Ipswich Town striker Marcus Stewart, who is living with MND.
Members of the MND community will later join Sinfield for an invitation-only Extra Mile event at Christchurch Park.
Later in the week SInfield will visit Sheffield, before ending his challenge in Leeds
Training and Preparation
Sinfield, who is undertaking his sixth endurance challenge in memory of his friend and former teammate Rob Burrow, said this week that the physical and logistical demands remain significant.
On managing rest, he said:
“Any sleep is welcome at that point. It’s the travel… you arrive somewhere and you’re in new surroundings and trying to prep for the following day and get everything ready, plus aches and pains and trying to fix yourself up ready to go again takes a bit of time.”
Despite juggling England coaching commitments, he said he had maintained his training:
“I get up early and I run… I train most days. A lot of my training was done before I went into camp… the last month’s really been about maintenance and making sure the body’s in the best place possible.”
He added that the harsh autumn weather had played its part:
“You look outside, and it’s chucking it dow,n and it’s freezing and windy, the last thing most people want to do is go out and run. But because of the time of year we do it, we expect poor weather conditions… training can be pretty brutal.”
"The best part of this has always been around pulling MND families together"
Sinfield said the motivation behind the challenge remains unchanged.
“Rob is still front and centre, although he’s not with us anymore. He certainly is in spirit, and we represent the full MND community… The best part of this has always been around pulling MND families together and making them feel loved, making them feel important, making them feel supported.”
He added that the progress in research gives him optimism:
“With the advances in technology and AI now, it’s only a matter of time before there’s a major breakthrough. I’m really confident of that.”
Across the East of England, 566 people are currently living with MND. Last year, the MND Association provided 842 support grants worth more than £400,000 to people in the region, their families and carers.
Sinfield and his team hope to raise £777,777, to be split between the MND Association, Leeds Hospital Charity, the Irish MND Association, the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, MND Scotland and The Darby Rimmer Foundation.
"He flies the flag for MND"
Across the East of England, 566 people are living with MND. Between September 2024 and September 2025, the MND Association was able to support people living with MND, their families and carers with support grants 842 grants worth more than £400,000.
Ellie Miller, Relationship Fundraiser for the MND Association in the East of England, said Sinfield’s decision to begin this stage of the challenge in Suffolk means a great deal to the community.
She said: “For Kevin to come to Suffolk and raise the awareness of MND and the effect of MND in Suffolk is huge. What he does, how he flies the flag for MND is incredible and we can’t thank him enough for starting his challenge here.”
She added that the turnout from supporters will make a real difference:
“Seeing people come out and cheer Kev on and the awareness it’s going to raise is honestly incredible. We can’t thank people enough for coming out, showing their support and being with us every step of the way to one day find a cure for MND.”
Miller said she’s most excited to see “the buzz” on the streets as people come together:
“People need people, and the support and the awareness it will bring to the area is incredible.”
The MND Association says anyone wanting to follow the route can track Kevin’s progress via a live tracker on the Leeds Rhinos website and social media pages.
The difference Kevin’s challenges are making
£2 million of the money raised for the MND Association from Kev’s most recent challenges has been invested in key translational research projects which will drive progress towards the development of effective new treatments. It’s also helping to fund research by some of the brightest young researchers to support their emerging careers.
More than £450,000 is helping to establish the Association’s pioneering Research Nurse Network to ensure people with MND have equitable access to clinical trials, speeding up progress towards the development of potential new treatments.
A further £382,000 is helping people with MND, their families and carers right now, through the provision of support grants. These help people to navigate the tremendous financial burden MND has, supporting with everything from the cost of living to grants for children and young people.