Watch inspirational Kevin Sinfield carry Rob Burrow across Leeds Marathon finish line
Kevin Sinfield #KevinSinfield
Kevin Sinfield completed his ninth marathon by carrying best friend and former team-mate Rob Burrow across the finish line in Leeds in what will go down as an iconic and inspirational moment.
Sunday’s inaugural Leeds Marathon had been named in Burrow’s honour to continue his fundraising efforts after being diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease in December 2019. Since learning of his condition, Burrow and close friends and family have campaigned relentlessly to raise money and awareness of the debilitating disease, with former Leeds Rhinos captain Sinfield at the forefront of those efforts.
The latest achievement saw Sinfield and other campaigners run the 26.2-mile course in four hours and 22 minutes while he pushed Burrow in his wheelchair, incredibly just three weeks after the current England rugby union defence coach completed the London Marathon.
“I did London three weeks ago and that was unbelievable, but today…it’s beat London,” Sinfield told BBC Radio Leeds after completing the race. “I know it’s not a competition, but the people of Leeds really came out and I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Before the London Marathon, Sinfield completed a remarkable seven ultra-marathons in just seven days. Burrow’s playing number for Leeds and England was number seven, while on Sunday 7,777 places were made available for the public to run – all of which were snapped up.
Former rugby league great Burrow was in an adapted wheelchair to enable him to complete the course, and normally uses a computer that contains pre-recorded messages of his own voice to enable him to speak with the aid of wife Lindsey.
“We’re just so grateful,” Lindsey, who also ran the marathon, said before the race. “I’m under no illusions it will be a tough 26 miles. I take my hat off to anyone who has trained to run a marathon – it’s not easy.”
More than 12,000 runners took part on Sunday as the race both began and finished at Rhinos’ Headingley Stadium, and was run in support of the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Appeal, along with the MND Association.
Six people are diagnosed with MND every day, according to the MND Association, with the condition affecting the brain and nervous system that prevents the action of motor skills and significantly reduces age expectancy. There is currently no cure, and the UK Government has committed to £50 million in funding further research, although currently only £27 million has been released.
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