As his feet pounded the pavement, Kevin Sinfield felt jolts of pain shoot through his body. But giving up on his incredible challenge of doing seven ultra-marathons in seven days wasn’t an option.
The rugby league legend was not just running for his best friend of 15 years, Rob Burrow, but for the thousands of other people in the UK living with motor neurone disease. Kevin, 42, was inspired to take on the tough endeavour after his former Leeds Rhinos team-mate Rob was diagnosed with the neurological condition in late 2019.
“Right at the start it was all about Rob,” says Kevin. “He was the guy I wanted to help more than anybody. And then you realise pretty quickly that this is everywhere. There are 5,000 people across the UK with motor neurone disease.”
His fund and awareness-raising mission inspired and brought hope to so many of those suffering, including Rob, 40, who Kevin first met nearly three decades ago. “Everyone needs a friend like Kev,” says Rob.
And what a friend he has been. In just the past three years, since Kevin decided to “do a run for a mate”, he has raised millions for MND charities and research into the disease. Firstly, came the seven marathons in as many days that was inspired by Rob’s playing number seven and raised £1.1million.
A second challenge almost a year later, called the Extra Mile, had Kevin running from Leicester Tigers’ Welford Road stadium to Headingley Rugby Stadium in Leeds, the home of the Rhinos. The trek was 101 miles, undertaken in 24 hours on no sleep. “Actually, it ended up being 104 miles because we got lost twice – so it was a fair stretch,” says Kevin.
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Isaac Parkin/PA Wire)A year on, Kevin, who is now defence coach of the England rugby union side, which takes on Scotland at Twickenham in the Calcutta Cup match on Saturday, decided to do his hardest test yet – the Ultra 7 in 7. He aimed to raise £777,777 by doing seven ultra-marathons in seven days, taking in a gruelling 40 miles daily.
Now, the former England rugby league captain’s incredible achievements are the focus of a BBC documentary, Kevin Sinfield: Going The Extra Mile, which debuts on Friday (Feb 3). Scrum-half Rob was diagnosed with MND just two years after he retired. In 2017, he was captain as Leeds won a record eighth Super League Grand Final.
A rare condition that affects the brain and nerves, MND is terminal but some people, such as physicist Stephen Hawking, can live with it for years. Father-of-three Rob has spoken out about the heartbreaking effects of the disease on his life, describing himself as a prisoner in his own body.
The change from the boy Kevin first met is stark. Recalling the early years of their friendship, Kevin says: “He was so small and
so quick. He had superhuman powers as a player. “We sat next to each other in the dressing room and spent the next 15 years together.”
In the documentary, Kevin becomes emotional as he speaks about the moment he first found out his close friend had the disease. “He knew something wasn’t right but didn’t quite know what, and then that text message lands, which has the horrific news.
“I didn’t know much about MND at the time. I very quickly Googled like everybody else would and you see those terrible stats – 33% die in the first 12 months, 50% die in the first two years. You find yourself thinking, ‘Rob’s staring down the barrel of a
big shotgun’.”
In November 2022, Kevin started his Ultra 7 in 7 at Murrayfield in Edinburgh. Before setting off, he was visited at the stadium by former rugby union player Doddie Weir, who also had MND. The moment had extra poignancy, as it would be the last time Kevin saw Doddie before he died from the disease a week later aged 52.
“When I look back, he was telling us that day when he turned up,” says Kevin. “I described him as the big brother who will be sadly missed.” Kevin has raised more than £7million through his trio of challenges, and was awarded an OBE.
Along the way, he has also met MND sufferers, who have lined the streets to support him. He says: “I met a guy on the route on the last day who had not been out of his house for two years. Those moments are tough.”
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Dan Mullan - RFU/The RFU Collection via Getty Images)Despite his feats, Kevin says he was simply doing what anyone would do in that situation. “I think everyone can imagine what they would do for their friend in the same position.
“I am proud to be part of the MND community. The people who I have been privileged to meet since 2020 inspire me every day and we will never stop banging the drum for MND until we find a cure.” And Rob is full of praise for Kevin, adding: “On behalf of me and all the sufferers out there, thanks from the bottom of our hearts.”
Kevin Sinfield: Going The Extra Mile is on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer on Friday (Feb 3) at 7pm.