Kevin Sinfield has completed the mammoth task of running seven marathons in seven days and has raised over £1.9 million for research into Motor Neurone Disease in the process.
The Oldham-born former professional rugby player – who captained Leeds Rhinos in the Super League for 18 years from 1997 – 2015, and now acts as the club’s Director of Rugby since 2018 – was inspired to take on the challenge for his close friend, and long-time Leeds Rhinos teammate, Rob Burrow, who is suffering with MND having been diagnosed last year.
The disease is currently incurable and so, in the hopes of contributing to a breakthrough in research, Kevin – nicknamed “Sir Kev” – set out on Tuesday 1st December for his first marathon.
After seven gruelling days, he finally completed the challenge Monday morning.
The initial fundraising target was set at £77,777 – a nod to the number seven shirt that Burrow wore for Leeds during his 17-year rugby league career – but once word got out, donations soon came flooding in from all across the country to see the official JustGiving page pass the £1 million mark as he crossed the finish like in Saddleworth.
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And it’s continued to rise ever since.
👊 Kevin Sinfield's final marathon has just come to an end.
📅 Seven days 🏃 Seven marathons 🛣️ 183.4 miles of running 👏 Over £1.1m raised for @Rob7Burrow and @mndassoc
We cannot thank you enough Kevin 💙 he's raised a million £ running 7 marathons in 7 days in honour of his best friend @Rob7Burrow and the MND Association.
“It’s unbelievable and I’m so happy we got it done. After the first day I did worry we’d bitten off more than we could chew, but the donations and the support just fuelled us.”
After getting up in the early hours of the morning to run in snow, sleet, wind and darkness, it was all made worth it by the donations and well-wishes he and his support team received along his way. He added: “My wife asked me if someone offered to double it would you do it again? And in an instant I said: ‘Yeah, absolutely,”
“I’m busted and broken now, but it’s what mates do: they look after each other.
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“The group, our team, have been such a special group. We are just six mates trying to make money for Rob and, without being able to go away because of COVID, this has been our holiday. The camaraderie has been unreal. We’ll miss waking up tomorrow to get ready to go again, and in a couple of years we’ll look back with a great deal of pride.”
Rob Burrow and his family were waiting for Sinfield at Headingley Stadium in Leeds on Saturday as he completed the fifth of his marathons, in an incredible time of three hours and 43 minutes.
Sinfield said that seeing his friend was almost too much for him to deal with at the time.
“When I ran into Headingley and I saw him, I didn’t stop straight away because I would have been a mess. I had a minute to gather myself but for him to be here was really, really special.” he said.
Burrow also sent a message to his pal ahead of the final marathon on Monday, saying: “You continue to inspire me and make me never want to give in. Like you I will take one step at a time, and maybe there isn’t a finish line for me but I will keep on going.
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“One more mate, I know you will do it. Good luck friend, I’m with you every step.
“Everyone needs a friend like Kev.”
"I'm overwhelmed… just so happy that we got it done"
Kevin Sinfield, Leeds Rhinos Director of Rugby, completes seven marathons in seven days
Stockport County to open new club shop in heart of town centre
Daisy Jackson
Stockport County FC will be opening a new County Store in the heart of Stockport, selling official merch and tickets.
The club has announced it’s taking on a unit at the Merseyway shopping centre, close to the former Debenhams building.
From its new ground-floor location, Stockport County will be able to offer supporters even more access to the club, stocking a wide range of official merchandise including exclusive products and new releases.
Merseyway has welcomed more than a quarter of a million visitors in a single week over the summer – a record-breaker – and the new Stockport County club shop will join new arrivals like Søstrene Grene, Lovisa, Grape Tree, and Shoe Zone.
Gavin Bailey, CEO of Stockport County said: “We’re delighted to be opening another County Store in the heart of Stockport town centre.
“As a Club, it is really important that we continue to strengthen our presence across the borough and make it as easy as possible for supporters to engage with County.
“Merseyway sits at the heart of a thriving town centre and this new location will give supporters a really convenient way to shop for County merchandise or purchase tickets whenever they are in town.
“It is also an incredibly exciting time for this part of Stockport. There is significant investment taking place across the town centre and the plans for Mersey Square will completely transform the area immediately surrounding our new store.
“We’re really pleased to be playing a small part in that wider regeneration and establishing another permanent County presence right in the centre of the town.
“We’re also looking forward to working alongside the fantastic network of retailers and businesses already based here. We have received tremendous support from the Stockport business community over recent years and we’re proud to be joining them.
““”We want the store to feel unmistakably County, with exclusive merchandise, new product ranges and plenty more planned as we continue to develop our retail offering.”
Cllr Micheala Meikle, Cabinet Member for Economy, Regeneration and Skills at Stockport Council, said: “Stockport County means a great deal to so many people, so it is brilliant to see the club bringing a new store into the town centre. County are a huge part of Stockport’s story and identity, and this move is a real vote of confidence in the town centre as a place where people want to be.
“The store is a welcome addition to Merseyway and will bring something distinctive and proudly Stockport to the retail offer. As our £2bn regeneration programme continues to reshape the town centre, it is important that we celebrate the businesses that make Stockport special and County is absolutely one of them.”
Victoria Nichol, Centre Manager at Merseyway Shopping Centre, said: “Stockport County is a huge part of this town, so having a County Store at Merseyway will be a significant addition for us and for the town centre. It will put the club right in the heart of Stockport and give supporters a new place to visit beyond match days.
“Merseyway is going from strength to strength. We’ve welcomed new retailers, seen record footfall over the summer and built a year-round programme of events that bring people into the centre. The County Store will add to that momentum, joining a fantastic mix of high street brands, independent businesses and community spaces.”
Further details, including the opening date and opening hours for the new County Store, will be confirmed in due course.
Premier League Darts is returning to Manchester’s AO Arena in 2027
Lydia Mastrolonardo
Premier League Darts is confirmed to be returning to Manchester next year.
Now’s your chance to see the youngest world champion in darts history, AKA Warrington’s very-own Luke ‘The Nuke’ Littler, show us how it’s done, as next year’s BetMGM Premier League Darts lineup has just been announced this week – with various dates confirmed across 17 different cities in the UK and Europe.
And Manchester is one of those cities, as the AO Arena has shared that they are set to host an evening next April, and we couldn’t be more excited about it.
This means that we will be lucky enough to witness the biggest names in world darts all under one roof, including headliners Gian van Veen and Luke Humphries, as well as Littler.
Manchester is the only northern city to get the pleasure of hosting the event next year, as Liverpool is also on the lineup, as is Leeds, Sheffield, and Newcastle, while elsewhere in the UK, the stars will travel to Glasgow, Birmingham, London, and several other major locations.
BetMGM Premier League Darts is to be held on Thursday 8 April at the AO Arena in Manchester, and to avoid being disappointed, fans are advised to register for presale ticket access.
Following a successful season of events in 2026, tickets are expected to be like gold-dust, so don’t say you haven’t been warned.
To access the first wave of tickets, fans must become an active PDCTV Annual Member before 23:59pm on Friday 9 October. Alternatively, general sale is on Thursday 22 October 2026, but make sure not to hang about.
Emily Sergeant -
8th December 2020 
