Sinfield reveals route for epic 7 in 7 in 7 Challenge

Rugby League legend Kevin Sinfield has revealed the routes for his seven ultra marathons that will take him across Great Britain and Ireland from 1st December until 7th December.  

Each run will include an Extra Mile event for invited members of the MND community to join Kevin for one mile each day. This section of the run is not open to the general public and each charity involved in the challenge has assigned places to join in the Extra Mile. Those who have been invited to attend will have been contacted individually. 

Starting on Friday 1st December, three years to the day since Sinfield started his first 7 In 7 challenge in 2020, the team will leave AMT Headingley Rugby Stadium at 12 noon heading to York Minister in the first leg of the challenge. That leg will see him run past Seacroft Hospital in Leeds where the new Rob Burrow Centre for MND will be constructed before heading along the A64 to York via Tadcaster and York Racecourse before arriving at the Minster.

Link to Leeds to York Route Google Map

For the first time, the 7 in 7 in 7 Challenge will take the fundraising to multiple cities. On Day Two, the team will travel to Cardiff, finishing the day on the pitch at half time of the United Rugby Championship game between Cardiff and Scarlets at The Arms Park. The route will start at the Principality Stadium at 11.30am and take Sinfield and his team out passed Sophia Gardens cricket ground before heading north to Whitchurch and then coming back through Victoria Park, passing Cardiff City Stadium and then Cardiff Bay before finishing at the Arms Park. 

Link to Cardiff route Google Map

The third day, on Sunday 3^rd December, will start at 10am at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham, the host of the 2022 Commonwealth Games before travelling around Birmingham, calling at St Andrews, Villa Park and Edgbaston en route to a finish in the city centre at Centenary Square in Britain’s second city. 

Link to Birmingham Route Google Map

On the fourth day, the team will head across the border to Edinburgh, crossing the Forth Road Bridge at 12 noon before heading East towards Leith and then circling back into the city around Holyrood and finishing at Scottish Gas Murrayfield. This will be a poignant moment as not only will it mark the halfway point of the challenge but also evoke memories of seeing Doddie Weir for the last time a year ago as he set Sinfield and the team off at the start of the Ultra 7 in 7 Challenge. 

Link to Edinburgh Route Google Map

The team head across the Irish Sea on 5^th December to run in Dublin inspired by former Munster Rugby Union coach Paul Darbyshire, who played Rugby League with Warrington and passed away from MND in 2011 when he was just 41. The team will work with the Irish MNDA for the first time following on from the incredible work done by legendary RTE broadcaster Charlie Bird who raised over €3 million for charity with his Climb with Charlie following his own MND diagnosis, Charlie will join in part of the route too. The Dublin route will start at Croke Park, the home of GAA in tribute to MND campaigner and former Antrim GAA captain Anto Finnegan, who lost his life to MND in 2021. The route then heads towards Ashtown before coming back passed Dublin Zoo and through Pheonix Park. The route crosses the River Liffey at Chapelizod before looping round to UCD and then heading north for the finish at the Aviva Stadium at Lansdowne Road. 

Link to Dublin Route Google Map

On 6^th December, Sinfield will head to the South coast of England for the penultimate day in Brighton. Starting at 12 noon at the home of Brighton and Hove Albion, Sinfield and his team will head to the seafront to complete the majority of their run before finishing at Brighton College in tribute to Chemistry teacher Pete Bellenger, who passed away from MND in 2022. 

Link to Brighton route Google Map

Finally, Sinfield, who is the England Rugby Union Assistant Coach will start his final day at the home of English Rugby Union at Twickenham at 12 noon on Thursday 7^th December.  The route initially takes the group into Richmond Park before crossing the Thames for the first time at Hammersmith Bridge. Sinfield will then run through Kensington into the heart of the capital, joining the Thames path at Victoria Embankment and crossing the river for a second time at Tower Bridge. Travelling back west along the South Bank, Sinfield will cross the Thames for a final time at Westminster Bridge before going through Parliament Square and finishing with a final flourish down Whitehall, passed Downing Street, around Trafalgar Square and down the Mall, the traditional finish of the world famous London Marathon to complete his challenge. 

Link to London route Google Map

The team are inspired by MND sporting warriors Rob Burrow, Ed Slater, Marcus Stewart, Stephen Darby, the late Doddie Weir and the 5,000 other people living with MND, in the UK right now. The initial target is to raise £777,777 from the challenge. Supporters can show their support now at https://donate.giveasyoulive.com/fundraising/kevin-sinfield or people can text Kevin10 to 70143 to donate £10 or Kevin20 to the same number to donate £20.

The 7 in 7 in 7 Challenge will support five charities which support and care for people affected by MND and their families, and invest in research to bring us closer to effective treatments and a cure for the disease.  The main beneficiaries will be the MND Association and Leeds Hospitals Charity’s appeal to build the Rob Burrow Centre for MND in Leeds. However, there will also be donations to My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, the Irish MND Association and the Darby Rimmer MND Foundation plus support for the 4ED campaign to support former Gloucester and Leicester Rugby Union player Ed Slater.