Rugby League and fundraising legend Kevin Sinfield CBE is heading home for Christmas on the final day of his latest epic fundraising challenge on Saturday 7th December.
Sinfield will run in memory of Rob Burrow, who passed away from MND in June this year. This will be Sinfield’s fifth annual challenge for the MND community having raised nearly £10 million in the first four events.
The day will start at 7.15am at Old Trafford, the place where Sinfield and Burrow created so many special memories during their playing days with Leeds Rhinos. He will then head to Manchester via Media City before calling to the Etihad Stadium on his way to his home town at Oldham.
The route includes a stop at his old junior rugby club, Waterhead, before an emotional conclusion to the week long challenge back in Saddleworth. Sinfield will join over 2,200 Santas to set off the annual Saddleworth Santa Dash in Uppermill before leaving the Santas and heading to his own finish line, the same place his finished his first ever challenge back in 2020.
Sinfield will be raising money for six MND charities with the MND Association being the primary partner and will aid the associations work in the region.
The week long challenge will start on 1st December with Sinfield and the team covering over 50km per day, visiting seven regions across Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Each day will be broken down into 7km blocks, the number 7 as always central to Sinfield’s challenge in recognition of his friend and former team mate Rob Burrow, who wore the number during his glittering career alongside Sinfield at Leeds Rhinos.
The team will aim to complete each 7km within one hour before the next block must start on the hour, meaning the only rest the team will get between each leg is the time spare after they have completed the block.
Commenting on his new challenge, Sinfield said, “The theme for our challenge this year is ‘Running Home for Christmas’ and we will be building up to the last day and joining all the Santas in Uppermill.
It is always a great day in the area and I would like to thank the organisers for allowing us to be part of it. The whole week is an opportunity to show the MND community that we have not forgotten them and we will continue to bang the drum.”
Oldham Council Leader, Cllr Arooj Shah, said:
“I am thrilled that Kevin will be completing this amazing challenge right here in Oldham, and we support him every step of the way.
Kevin’s achievements as an incredible athlete and as a human-being are truly inspiring, literally going that extra mile for Motor Neurone Disease.
“I hope that residents will come out to support Kevin on what will be a monumental day for Oldham and support this important cause. I really couldn’t be more proud.”
Members of the public can sponsor Sinfield at or by texting Kevin10 to 70143 to donate £10.
For more details of the entire route for the 2024 challenge visit www.therhinos.co.uk/the-club/sinfield-christmas-2024
