November 28th 2024.
Kevin Sinfield is about to embark on yet another remarkable challenge. He has been preparing for what he believes will be the most physically demanding task yet, and he's doing it all without the support of his dear friend and inspiration, Rob Burrow.
At the age of 44, Kevin is taking on the Running Home for Christmas - 7 in 7 in 7 Challenge, where he will be running seven ultramarathons in seven different cities over the course of seven days. This is Kevin's fifth annual challenge, and it's all for a great cause - raising money for motor neurone disease research.
Kevin's journey of epic fundraising began when his former teammate at Leeds Rhinos, Rob Burrow, was diagnosed with MND. However, after Rob's tragic passing in June of this year, this challenge will be the first one without him by Kevin's side, cheering him on.
"It's going to be tough not having Rob with me this time," Kevin shared. "I won't be receiving his nightly text messages and I'll miss his sense of humor. I miss him every day. But I know he would want us to keep fighting, and that's exactly what we'll do."
"Rob was a great man, and I know he wouldn't want us to dwell on his loss. He would want us to tackle this challenge with a smile on our faces and do him justice, which is exactly what we intend to do. We'll share stories and laugh about him along the way, and I have no doubt that he'll be with us in spirit. I'll be thinking of him every step of the way."
"This whole thing started because we wanted to do something for our friend. Things have changed since then, but we'll never forget why we started this."
The ultramarathons range from 50km to just over 60km on the second day, making it a physically demanding challenge for Kevin. Despite all the incredible things he has achieved in his fundraising efforts so far, he believes that the difficulty level is only increasing.
"I have a feeling that this will be the toughest one yet," Kevin shared. "They don't get any easier. The stop-and-start nature of this challenge brings its own set of challenges, and I'm not getting any younger either."
"The training has been brutal. I run all year round, but the last 11 weeks have been particularly difficult. But I know it's necessary because I can't just show up on the start line and expect to complete this. People might think I'm superhuman, but that's far from the truth. I have to work really hard for this."
"I have to admit, I hate running. I was never a fan of cross-country running in school. My sport was all about intervals, and on top of that, I have asthma. So, it's not exactly the perfect combination for a runner."
"This challenge is going to be a real struggle for me. I'll definitely be nervous and worried about not being able to finish. But I'm determined to give it my all."
The 7 in 7 in 7 Challenge kicks off on Sunday in Liverpool and will end on Saturday, December 7th in Saddleworth. Along the way, Kevin will also visit cities like Belfast, Glasgow, and Bristol. If you'd like to support Kevin's cause, you can donate here.
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