Iconic finish to marathon as rugby hero carries his pal
AN ENGLAND rugby coach completed his ninth marathon carrying Rob Burrow, his best friend and former team-mate, across the finishing line in what will be remembered as an inspirational moment.
The inaugural Leeds Marathon had been renamed the Rob Burrow Marathon to honour his tireless fund-raising efforts since December 2019, when he was diagnosed with motor neurone disease. Since learning of his condition, Burrow and close friends and family have campaigned relentlessly to raise money and awareness of the debilitating disease.
Kevin Sinfield, the former Leeds Rhinos captain, has been at the forefront of those efforts and in this latest achievement he ran the 26.2-mile course in four hours and 22 minutes while he pushing Burrow in a wheelchair.
The England rugby union defence coach, who completed the London Marathon three weeks ago, told BBC Radio Leeds: “London … was unbelievable, but today … it’s beat London. I know it’s not a competition, but the people of Leeds really came out and I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Before the London race, Sinfield completed seven ultra-marathons in seven days. His playing number for Leeds and England was number seven, while 7,777 places were made available yesterday for the public to run – all of which were snapped up.
Burrow, a former rugby league star, used an adapted wheelchair to complete the course, and normally uses a computer that contains pre-recorded messages of his own voice so he can speak, with the aid of Lindsey, his wife.
“We’re just so grateful,” said Lindsey, who also ran in the event, said before the race. “I’m under no illusions it will be a tough 26 miles – it’s not easy.”
More than 12,000 runners started the race, which began and finished at Rhinos’ Headingley Stadium and supported the Rob Burrow Centre for motor neurone disease appeal, along with the Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association. Every day six people are diagnosed with MND, for which there is no cure.
The Government has released £27million of the £50million it has pledged for further research.