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:
Kevin Sinfield carries Rob Burrow over the finish line at his first namesake marathon.
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".
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.
Leeds legend Kevin Sinfield is set to take on his seventh and final 7 in 7 challenge this month.
The former Leeds Rhinos captain will begin 7 in 7: The Grand Finale next Sunday 27 September.
Wondering what on earth that is? Allow us to fill you in.
Sinfield will be running an ultra-marathon every day for seven days, and this time it's across the north of England including a special stop off right here in Leeds.
Not only that, but the challenge will bring Sinfield back to some of the places that have played a huge part in his rugby league career.
The route will visit all 12 English Betfred Super League grounds, starting at Hull KR before travelling through Yorkshire and eventually crossing the Pennines towards Manchester where Sinfield is from.
Here in Leeds, we can expect Sinfield to arrive at Headingley Stadium on Wednesday 30 September at 11:14am, before leaving towards Pudsey Civic Hall at 11:40am.
The challenge will then finish at Old Trafford on Saturday 3 October, where Sinfield will arrive ahead of the Super League Grand Final.
Since the first annual challenge back in 2020, Kevin Sinfield and his team have raised over £11 million for the MND community with six charities set to benefit once again from this years fundraising.
It's an amazing challenge for an amazing cause, and you can donate and find out more about the challenge here.
Good luck Kevin and the team, we know you'll smash it.
Inside the huge multi-million-pound makeover transforming Leeds United’s facilities
Clementine Hall
Yorkshire interior design specialist Design Tonic has completed a major series of projects for Leeds United Football Club.
A new era for Leeds United is on the horizon, and we're catching a first glimpse of it already.
Design Tonic is a long-standing design and build partner of the football club that has delivered approximately 30,000 sq ft of new and refurbished space, completed to coincide with the start of the new premier league season.
The latest work has been designed to support the club’s continued development of plans for Elland Road, including the new West Stand.
Image: Supplied (Pink Gorilla)
The main element of the programme has been the full design and build of a new 20,000 sq ft temporary hospitality marquee at Elland Road, providing high-quality hospitality facilities while the West Stand is redeveloped.
The facility incorporates four individual hospitality suites with capacity for approximately 1,000 guests with interiors carefully considered to deliver a high-end experience.
Images: Supplied (Pink Gorilla)
Alongside the temporary hospitality facility, Design Tonic has delivered a series of significant upgrades throughout Elland Road including the creation of a new Presidents Lounge transforming a previous back-of-house area into a premium hospitality environment, a new Chairman’s Guest Lounge, and refurbishment of the club’s reception and boardroom.
Head of IT and facilities at Leeds United Football Club, Mark Broadley, said: “Design Tonic has become a trusted partner to Leeds United. They understand both the operational requirements of a football club and the importance of ensuring every environment feels unmistakably Leeds United.
Images: Supplied (Pink Gorilla)
“This has been a particularly important project for us, supporting the next stage of development at Elland Road while ensuring our hospitality guests continue to receive a high- quality experience. At the same time, the improvements at Thorp Arch enhance the everyday environments available to our players and Academy.
“The completed spaces look fantastic and provide an excellent platform as the club starts the new Premier League season.”
Danny Jones -
15th May 2023 
