Kevin Sinfield will set off on his latest challenge on Sunday 1st December with the first 7km leg as part of the annual Liverpool Santa Dash before Kev and the team head across the Mersey and down through the  Wirral towards Ellesmere Port where the Day 1 Extra Mile event will take place at Biro Leisure Sports Village.

The route will then continue towards Chester and across the border into Wales heading for the finish line at Wrexham AFC.

MND Hero

The challenge will start in Liverpool which will have extra significance to mark the incredible contribution that former Liverpool footballer Stephen Darby has made to the MND community through the Darby Rimmer Foundation which is one of the beneficiaries of the 7 in 7 in 7 Challenge. Find out more about Stephen here. Stephen played under Wrexham Manager Phil Parkinson during his time at Bradford City and Bolton Wanderers.

Routes

Check out the route Kev will run on Day 1 

Click here to see the route in full

Timetable

Running top

The second day of the 2024 7 in 7 in 7 Challenge will be a special one as we start at Kingshold Stadium in Gloucester with good friend Ed Slater joining the team to wave them off on the longest day of the challenge.

The route heads south along Bristol Road out of Gloucester before joining the A38 just outside of Hardwicke.

The Extra Mile event will take place at before Kev heads into Bristol via the Memorial Ground where Marcus Stewart will meet the team at the home of where he made his professional debut. The team are also hoping to link up with Syd Lawrence on their way in to Bristol. The days run will finish at Ashton Gate, the home of Bristol Bears and Bristol City. 

MND Hero

Ed Slater was diagnosed with MND in July 2022. Slater made more than 200 appearances in the Gallagher Premiership across stints with Leicester and Gloucester and lifted the trophy in 2012-13 with the Tigers.

He was renowned for his crunching tackles, excellent breakdown play, and for having a wicked turn of pace for a 6ft 5in, 18-stone forward. Find out more about Ed’s charity 4Ed here https://4-ed.co.uk/

Marcus Stewart was diagnosed in September 2022 has been a great supporter of the 7 in 7 Challenge in recent years. The former Bristol Rovers, Bristol City, Ipswich Town and Sunderland striker is head of player development at Yeovil Town.

David ‘Syd’ Lawrence was diagnosed earlier this year. The former Gloucestershire and England cricketer earned five Test caps for his country. Gloucester born and bred, Syd, as he is affectionately known, played in 280 matches for his home county between 1981 and 1997 and took 625 wickets during his career at Nevil Road. Syd is Club President of his former county. 

Route

Timetable

 Gloucester first half of the day

Second half of the day to Bristol

Kevin Sinfield and the 7 in 7 in 7 Challenge returns to the island of Ireland on Day 3 of this years challenge. Having had a warm reception in Dublin in 2023, the team head to Belfast. The day starts at Kingspan Stadium, the home of Ulster Rugby, before taking in the iconic landmarks of Stormont and the Titanic Quarter.

The route will call at St Pauls GAA, the club where former Antrim captain and MND campaigner Anto Finnegan played. The Extra Mile will take place at the Mary Peters track with Dame Mary there on the day to give her support.

The day will finish at the George Best statue at the national football stadium.

MND Heroes

One of the highlights of the 2023 Challenge was when legendary Irish broadcaster Charlie Bird joined the team for the final stretch of the Dublin leg. Sadly, Charlie passed away in March this year. Despite this year’s challenge not being in the Republic of Ireland, we will still be supporting the Irish MND Association in tribute to Charlie and the incredible work he did.

Former Antrim captain Anto Finnegan passed away in 2021 at the age of 48 following a battle with Motor Neurone Disease.

Finnegan played for Antrim for 11 years and captained the Saffrons to a first win in an Ulster Senior Football Championship game in 18 years in 2000.

He was diagnosed with MND in August 2012 and raised awareness around the disease through his campaigning and charity work including taking a GAA game to Kingspan Stadium.

Routes

Check out the full route for Day 3 in Belfast here by clicking here.

Timetable 

The 7 in 7 in 7 Challenge returns to Scotland on 4^th December which is a special occasion as we remember our friend and inspiration Doddie Weir whenever north of the border. 

The day will start at Ibrox Stadium before heading towards Hampden Park. The route then crosses the River Clyde with stops Celtic Park and Firhill. The route concludes at the home of Glasgow Warriors at Scotstoun where the Extra Mile event will take place on the running track around the rugby pitch.

MND Heroes

Glasgow will be a special day on this years challenge in partnership with MND Scotland and My Name’5 Doddie Foundation. The team will remember a number of MND Heroes as they go around the route.

Former Rangers defender Fernando Ricksen died at the age of 43 in 2019 after a long battle with motor neurone disease. The Dutchman, who was diagnosed in October 2013, won two Scottish titles, two Scottish Cups and three League Cups in a six-year spell at Ibrox after joining Rangers in 2000. He moved to Zenit St Petersburg in 2006, initially on loan, where he won a Russian title and the UEFA Cup, beating Rangers in the final in 2008. Ricksen returned to Holland to finish his career with Fortuna. 

Lisbon Lion Jimmy Johnstone, known and loved by the Celtic Family as ‘Jinky’, was named as Celtic’s greatest ever players. He won nine championship medals, four in the Scottish Cup, five in the League Cup and, the pinnacle of them all, the European Cup in 1967. He passed away from MND in March 2006. 

Don McVicar, the former St Johnstone and Partick Thistle defender died aged 43 in 2006, after a four-year battle with Motor Neurone Disease. McVicar also played for Tranmere Rovers, Montrose, Forfar, Airdrie, Ayr United and Elgin City.

Finally, the finish at Scotstoun, the home of Rugby Union in Glasgow, will remind us all of Doddie Weir but there is also a personal connection for Warriors Head Coach Franco Smith, who was a former team mate of Joost van der Westhuizen, the Springbok scrum half who passed away in 2017 aged 45 from MND.

Route 

Check out the full route for Day 4 of the 7 in 7 in 7 Challenge in Glasgow by clicking here.

Timetable 

The challenge arrives in East Yorkshire on 5^th December with Kevin Sinfield heads into the Rugby League heartland of Hull. The day starts at Beverley Racecourse before heading south towards Ferriby and then east towards Hull, calling in at MKM Stadium, the home of Hull FC and Hull City. The route continues through the city centre before finishing at Sewell Group Craven Park. The Extra Mile event will take place at the Costello Stadium running track. 

MND Heroes 

In the Rugby League mad city of Hull, Rob Burrow will be our hero on Day 5 remembering Rob, who passed away in June this year. We will also be remembering former Hull FC player Adam Maher. Maher died at the age of 47 following a battle with motor neurone disease in 2020.

The Australian second-rower made 100 appearances for the Black and Whites between 2000 and 2003, scoring 25 tries.

Maher, who also played for Cronulla Sharks, Rochdale and Gateshead, was part of the first Hull team to play at the MKM Stadium in 2003, before retiring at the end of that season.

Route 

Check out the route as the team travel from Beverley to East Hull by clicking here

Timetable 

From Beverley to Hull FC

From Hull FC to Hull KR

The penultimate day of the 7 in 7 in 7 Challenge will begin with an extra special start line as the team set off from the Headquarters of the MND Association in Northampton.

The route heads north towards Leicester with the Extra Mile taking place at Saffron Lane Athletics Track on the way to Mattioli Woods Welford Road Stadium, the home of Leicester Tigers. 

MND Heroes 

The team are honoured to be starting at the MND Association and the chance to thank all the incredible staff who do so much for the MND community. Former Leicester Tigers star Ed Slater will be at the finish line to welcome the team home.

Whilst in Leicester, we will also remember a man, who like Kevin, was associated with teams in both Leicester and Leeds. Legendary Leeds United manager Don Revie started his professional playing career at Leicester City n 1944, playing nearly 100 games for the the Filbert Street club and helping them to a FA Cup Final in 1949 with a goal in the semi final win over Portsmouth. 

The Route

Check out the route for Day 6 in full clicking here.

Timetable

First half of the day from Northampton

Second half of the day to Leicester

The final day of 7 in 7 in 7 Challenge will see the team Run home for Christmas and back to where it all began in 2020.

The day starts at Old Trafford, the scene where Kevin Sinfield and Rob Burrow wrote their names in the history books of Rugby League. The route takes in BBC Studios in Salford before heading to Manchester City Centre before the Extra Mile takes place at the Etihad Stadium running track.

The route then heads to Kevin’s home town of Oldham, taking in his old junior club before finishing at the Saddleworth Santa Dash 

MND Heroes

We will be honoured be joined by the family of Jordan Pilkington at the start line at Old Trafford. Jordan was a lifelong Manchester United fan, attending games home and away with his dad. He was diagnosed with MND when he was just 22 – one of the youngest to suffer from the disease in the UK. The former soldier passed away earlier this year.

As we head through the North West football heartlands, we will remember former Bury and Burnley midfielder Len Johnrose, who died aged 52, back in 2022.

Johnrose was diagnosed with MND in 2017. He played 502 career games including spells at Blackburn Rovers, Preston North End, Hartlepool and Swansea City, with more than 200 of those with Bury.

The other big sporting love in the North West is of course Rugby League. We will also remember former Warrington player and Wigan coach Mike Gregory, who passed away in 2007 from a type of MND, and his former Warrington team mate Paul Darbyshire who lost his battle with the disease in 2011, the same age as Rob Burrow at 41. 

Route

Check out the final days route on 7^th December by clicking here

Timetable