In what is fast becoming a hardy annual, Kevin Sinfield, former rugby league player and now marathon runner extraordinaire is once again taking on another 7 in 7: Together challenge. This means that between the 1st and the 7th of December Kevin will run seven ultra marathons.
One of them, in fact the last is of particular interest to us and that’s because on Sunday 7th December, after a week spent pounding the pavements of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales Kevin and his support team will be passing and briefly calling in at Moortown Baptist Church on the final leg of their path to the AMT Headingley Rugby Stadium.
By the standards of those of us who struggle to run for a bus taking on a 7 in 7: Together challenge is nothing short of super human. But that’s precisely what Kevin does! And once again he’s doing it to raise funds for MND charities: The MND Association being the main beneficiary along with donations to Leeds Hospitals Charity’s support for the Rob Burrow Centre, Irish MND Association, Darby Rimmer Foundation, the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation and MND Scotland.
Kevin’s association with MND is of course well known, not least through the vast amount of money that he and his supporters have raised alongside former Rhino’s teamate and MND sufferer Rob Burrow. Sadly Rob died as a result of this terrible disease in 2024, but today despite Rob being no longer with us the fifteen year bond between these two great players lives on.
The official 7 in 7: together timetable shows them due here at MBC, give or take, somewhere around 1.15pm. However, such is the level of excitment generated by Kevin and his team choosing MBC as the final check point that after church starting at 12.45 and going on to 2.45 we are hosting an open house and inviting anyone and everyone who wants to join us to bring their lunch and have a cuppa before cheering these super heros on towards Headingley.
You can find full details of Kevin and his teams itinery by following this link https://www.therhinos.co.uk/the-club/sinfield-together-202
Two bits of late news that have just reached us are: that as Nathan Dring’s consultancy business has offered to join Kevin’s list of sponsors, he and Shelley have been invited to join the 7 in 7: Together athletes plus the thousands of runners that are already signed up for the Extra Mile Santa Dash. This starts at 2pm and runs between the Leeds Beckett University sports centre and Headingley. And the second is that whilst we await Kevin’s arrival not only will we have the chance to decorate some homemade biscuits but Shelley has arranged with a friend of hers for the Leeds Saxaphone Quartet to come along and entertain us.
All in all December 7th not only sounds like A great day, it also sounds like THE perfect way to launch our Christmas programme.