Watching the beautiful relationship former Leeds Rhinos teammates and best mates Kevin Sinfield and Rob Burrow share is an honour and we can’t and their remarkable journey together as motor neuron disease champions.
Although Rob is sadly immobile and can sadly no longer speak as a result of his condition, for the past few years Rhinos legend and England coach Kevin Sinfield has completed some seriously incredible feats for MND research.
Whether it’s smashing out seven ultra-marathons in a week or running for 24 hours non-stop, he’s achieved so many astonishing things on his behalf and on Sunday, Sinfield brought Burrow along for his latest effort, where everyone happened to be running in his name.
This weekend was the inaugural Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon, the first this city has seen for over two decades, where Kevin pushed Rob around for the full 26.2 miles in a specially designed wheelchair. However, when it came to the finish line, and his fellow Rhinos running alongside him had other ideas:
We simply can’t stop crying watching this.
As you can see, Sinfield thought it only fitting to lift Burrow out of his wheelchair and carry him across the finish line of the marathon named after him in what was a truly emotional moment for the pair of them and everyone watching.
He literally helped him complete the marathon by giving him a kiss and a cuddle. If that doesn’t sum up how special the connection between these two is then we don’t know what does.
More than 12,500 runners ended up taking part — nearly 5,000 more than was initially scheduled, as so many simply wanted to come out and run in Rob’s honour — with 40% never even having run a marathon before, including his wife Lindsey who said, “the reason I am doing it will get me to the finish line”.
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As for Sinfield, speaking after it was all said and done, the 42-year-old thanked everyone who turned up and helped “create something so incredible in Rob’s name”. It’s clear that their connection is one that has resonated with millions across the UK.
Prior to setting off, he went on to say, “It doesn’t matter how long it takes. The longer it takes, the more time I get to spend with him… Today is a celebration of friendship”.
All told, Sinfield has now raised over £8 million for the Motor Neuron Disease Association (MNDA) and other related charities, running countless miles in the process, so giving his best mate and inspiration a hug on the way over the finish line looked easy in comparison. What a legend.
The route starting and ending at Headingly Stadium proved so popular that next year’s Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon has already been confirmed and we couldn’t be prouder of everyone who participated in this wonderful cause.
You can donate to the MNDA and do your bit to help people like Rob HERE.
Featured Image — Leeds Rhinos (via Instagram)
