Former Leeds captain Kevin Sinfield set off on his latest remarkable fundraising challenge with good-luck messages from the world of sport and with his stricken friend Rob Burrow as his inspiration.
The rugby league international, who is now defence coach at rugby union club Leicester, is running the 101 miles from the Tigers’ Welford Road ground to Headingley in 24 hours.
The journey, which is being be split into seven kilometre segments, was originally planned to cover 100 miles but the actual distance is 101 with Sinfield once again proving he will always go the extra mile for Burrow, who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in December 2019.
The sporting world are behind you Kev!
Good luck messages from @ClareBalding, @AlanShearer, @Mo_Farah and more.
“There’s only one, Kevin Sinfield” ????#TheExtraMile pic.twitter.com/W6ODbaPFtB
— MND Association (@mndassoc) November 22, 2021
Money raised from the run will be divided between the MND Association and the Leeds Hospitals Charity appeal to build a new care centre in Leeds that will bear the name of the former Great Britain number seven.
Sinfield was given a send-off by the Coldstream Guards and received good-luck messages from Alan Shearer, Ian Wright and Mo Farah as well as Burrow, who aims to be at the finishing line on Tuesday.
The 41-year-old Sinfield is in regular contact with his old team-mate and admits he will be in his thoughts throughout the run.
Just wanted to wish my mate Kev all the luck in the world with his next crazy challenge. You know he is a good one when he is prepared to put his body and well being on the line again for his little mate. Go careful mate and see you at the finish line x
— Rob Burrow MBE (@Rob7Burrow) November 21, 2021
“That’s what teams do, we stick together,” he said. “We still look after each other, that’s the great thing about rugby.
“I’ve said it before, when someone is in a bit of bother, a bit of strife, the Batman sign goes up and the group will come, that’s probably the strength of that group of players.
“That’s rugby, isn’t it? Perhaps not all teams have it but ours did.”
In December 2020, Sinfield led a team that raised over £2.7million by running seven marathons in seven days and has already smashed through his initial target of £100,000 for his latest challenge.
As Sinfield set off on his second leg, his giveasyoulive page reached just short of £200,000 and he insists that, despite a lack of sleep, he will complete the challenge.
“I’m prepared to keep going,” he said. “I don’t know how long my knees will hold up, but he’s a mate and he’d do it for me.”
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