Kevin Sinfield’s MND Challenge: Key Details for the Northampton to Leicester Leg

A prominent rugby league figure and charity fundraiser is set to commence the next stage of his latest challenge from the headquarters of the Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association in Northampton. Kevin Sinfield is undertaking a seven-day run, covering 50km (31 miles) daily, to generate funds for six charities dedicated to Motor Neurone Disease. The second-to-last day of this endeavor will commence at Francis Crick House in Moulton Park and conclude in Leicester. This Friday, Sinfield plans to complete the initial half of the route wearing the black, green, and gold colors of the English champions, Northampton Saints. He will then change into the green, red, and white attire of their East Midlands competitors, the Leicester Tigers. The former Leeds Rhinos player is participating in this run to honor the memory of his friend and former teammate, Rob Burrow, who passed away from MND in June. This “seven in seven” challenge, initiated by Sinfield to acknowledge Burrow’s jersey number, has already accumulated over £430,000 towards its £777,777 fundraising goal. The initiative, named “Running Home for Christmas,” involves Sinfield’s team traveling to seven distinct regions across the United Kingdom. Their daily objective is to cover distances exceeding 50 km, structured into segments of seven kilometers each. Dr. Brian Dickie, the director of research at the MND Association, conveyed via a message on X that the funds generated through Sinfield’s endeavors are “pivotal” for advancing the development of prospective new treatments for the condition. He stated: “Thanks to Kevin and his team’s incredible efforts and your amazing support, the pace of research is speeding up and giving hope to the whole MND community.” He added: “Thank you, and keep going, Kev!” The schedule for this leg is as follows: 07:00 GMT – MND Association headquarters, Moulton Park, Northampton (start point) 07:35 – Brixworth Cricket Club 08:35 – Cottesbrooke village hall 09:34 – Naseby village hall 10:37 – The Red Lion, Sibbertoft 11:35 – Layby at entrance to Mowsley Hill Farm, Theddingworth Road 12:36 – Fleckney baptist church 13:37 – Wigston police station 14:40 – Leicester Tigers, Welford Road Stadium Sinfield and Burrow shared a bond both as teammates during matches and as friends outside of their professional careers. Burrow, a married father of three, concluded his playing career in 2017, having secured eight Super League Grand Finals victories and earned 15 caps for England along with five for Great Britain. His entire club tenure was with Leeds, where he accumulated over 400 appearances from 2001 to 2017. Burrow received an MND diagnosis in 2019. Subsequently, he and Sinfield dedicated themselves to raising both awareness and financial support for MND charities, prior to Burrow’s passing in June at 41 years old. The “Running Home for Christmas” challenge involves Sinfield and his team traversing over 50km (31 miles) daily, making stops in seven regions throughout Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Daily distances are segmented into 7km (4.3 mile) blocks. The number seven holds particular significance in Sinfield’s challenge, honoring Burrow, who wore that jersey number throughout his playing career. The team’s objective is to finish each 7km segment within an hour, with the subsequent block commencing precisely on the hour. This structure means their sole period of rest between segments is any time remaining after completing a block. Following the Northampton to Leicester segment, Sinfield is scheduled to conclude the challenge with its final leg, extending from Old Trafford to Saddleworth in Greater Manchester. Kevin Sinfield and his team are collecting donations for six charitable organizations: Motor Neurone Disease Association, Leeds Hospitals Charity, Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association, My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, MND Scotland, and The Darby Rimmer MND Foundation. Sinfield has previously accumulated approximately £10 million through four prior annual challenges. The full schedule of legs includes: Liverpool to Wrexham – 1 December Gloucester to Bristol – 2 December Belfast – 3 December Glasgow – 4 December Beverley to Hull – 5 December Northampton to Leicester – 6 December Old Trafford to Saddleworth – 7 December