Rugby star Kevin Sinfield bringing MND fundraising challenge to Glasgow

Former Leeds Rhinos rugby star Kevin Sinfield is bringing his annual motor neurone disease fundraising challenge to Glasgow.

The 7 in 7 in 7 Challenge returns to Scotland on December 4 with a theme of “running home for Christmas” and will partner with MND Scotland and My Name’5 Doddie Foundation.

While in the city, Sinfield and his team will pay tribute to Doddie Weir, Jimmy Johnstone, Fernando Ricksen, Don McVicar and Joost van der Westhuizen, who all died after being diagnosed with MND.

The 44-year-old England coach is aiming to run over 50km each day during the first week of December, visiting seven regions across Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Each day will be divided into 7km blocks, with the number 7, as always, central to Sinfield’s challenge in recognition of his friend and former teammate Rob Burrow.

Doddie Weir: Former Scotland star died in 2022. SNS Group

The fourth day of the challenge will take place in Glasgow with destinations including Ibrox Stadium, Celtic Park, Hampden Park and Scotstoun Stadium.

Sinfield will start at Ibrox Stadium at 7am, before heading to Hampden Park and then crossing the River Clyde.

It will end at Scotstoun Stadium at around 1.35pm.

Jimmy Johnstone: Legendary Lisbon Lion faced battle with MND before his death. SNS Group

The route concludes at the home of Glasgow Warriors at Scotstoun where the Extra Mile event, with members of the MND community joining the team to complete their own mile, will take place on the running track around the rugby pitch.

The team will aim to complete each 7km within one hour before the next block must start on the hour meaning the only rest between each leg is the time spare after they have completed the block.

Fernando Ricksen: Former Rangers defender died at the age of 43 in 2019. SNS Group

The 2024 Challenge will start on December 1 with a run from Liverpool to Wrexham, taking the fundraising effort back to Wales after last year’s run in Cardiff.

The second day is the longest of the challenge, covering over 60km as the team travel to Gloucester to Bristol, inspired by friends of the team in former rugby player Ed Slater, who played for Gloucester, and footballer Marcus Stewart, who started his career at Bristol Rovers.

On the December 3, the team head across the Irish Sea to Belfast and after Glasgow it will be in Hull on December 5.

The penultimate day will start at the MND Association’s head office in Northampton, with Sinfield leading the team to Leicester, where the 2021 Extra Mile Challenge started.

Finally, the team will return home on December 7.

Starting outside Old Trafford, where Sinfield and Burrow shared so many memories on the field with the Rhinos, the team will head to Saddleworth to conclude the challenge, back to where the first-ever challenge finished back in 2020.