Yesterday, former Leeds Rhino player Kevin Sinfield embarked on a gruelling ultra 7 in 7 challenge, which will see the player run from Edinburgh to Manchester in just seven days.
Running almost 40 miles per day, the sporting legend is raising money for Motor Neurone Disease charities, inspired by friend and former team mate Rob Burrow.
So far a whopping £270,000+ has been donated to the cause, but Sinfield hopes to hit £777,777 by the time the week is though. A huge donation of £27,600, £100 for each mile of the ultra marathon has been reportedly donated by Leeds Rhinos biggest sponsors, Leeds Building Society.
The full route has now been published, and you can cheer the former Leeds Rhinos player on as he passes through Melrose, Otterburn, Newcastle, Chester-le-Street, Middlesbrough, Thirsk, York, Tadcaster, Leeds, Bradford, Halifax and Oldham before finishing his journey at Old Trafford in Manchester, during the Rugby League World Cup final.
The ‘Ultra 7 in 7 Challenge’ will see the former Rhinos captain to run over 60 km each day in order to reach the destination in time, and will travel through Melrose, Newcastle, York, Bradford, Middlesborough and Leeds before arriving in Manchester.
During the leg from York to Bradford, it has been reported that former team mate Richie Mathers, who played with Sinfield in 2004 Super League Grand Final, will join Sinfield.
The idea is that Sinfield will reach Old Trafford at half-time during the men’s rugby league World Cup final on Saturday 19 November, having set off six days prior on Sunday 13 November 2022.
Having already raised a whopping £5.5 million for charity from previous challenges, this time, Sinfield aims to raise a further £777,777 for people living with MND, which will be split between Motor Neurone Disease Association, Leeds Hospitals Charity, The Darby Rimmer MND Foundation, My Name'5 Doddie Foundation and MND Scotland.
The pair played together for Leeds Rhinos. Sinfield played for the team for 18 years and Burrow, 16.
Sinfield told BBC Breakfast this morning that he “want the MND community, Rob, Doddie, Stephen and Ed to know there are people willing to go to some dark places for them”.
The challenge will see the money donated split between five different charities that work to support people affected by Motor Neurone Disease.
Two years after his retirement in 2017, Rob Burrow was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease, a life-changing condition that affects nerves in the brain and spinal cord.
So far, Sinfield has raised just over £3000 since the announcement less than 24 hours ago, and it is expected this number will only continue to increase as the challenge date looms closer.
Leeds Christmas Markets is returning to the city centre in just two months' time and some major plans and changes have been announced.
Although Pop Princess Zara Larsson might want us to believe "Summer isn't over yet", it's safe to say that the recent downpours we've had across West Yorkshire disagree.
Leeds Christmas Markets are also ringing in the new season with a jam-packed video posted to social media announcing all the current plans and changes for its 2026 schedule.
This year, outdoor events company Thor’s Tipi are stepping up as the all-new operators of this Christmastime spectacular and are organising a celebration where 'even if you’re not from Yorkshire, you’re going to leave being from Yorkshire'.
Leeds Christmas Markets are returning to Leeds City Square from Thursday 19 November with plenty of Yorkshire-centric stalls / Credit: The Hoot Leeds
Although Leeds locals already know that Yorkshire is 'God's Own Country', the Leeds Christmas Markets team are making sure that the county is represented through its food, drinks and wider stalls.
In a video uploaded to its social accounts, foodie expert and Little Bao Boy Founder James 'Jimmy Chews' Ooi was given the honour of revealing all these exciting plans.
Informing everyone that "You best come hungry", Ooi noted that some of the phenomenal vendors taking part include La Grassa and The Savvy Baker.
Real Markets Yorkshire and Stump Cross Caverns are also getting into the Christmas spirit and setting up their own stalls at Leeds City Square this November.
La Grassa is just one of many familiar foodie faces returning to Leeds Christmas Markets / Credit: The Hoot Leeds
Rated restaurants and bars are contributing to the festive frenzy too, like Cabaret Thursdays at Italian restaurant Bibi's and beer garden destination Green Room are hosting singalongs at Leeds Christmas Markets.
There will be plenty of activities for families happening all around the unofficial capital of West Yorkshire like elf-themed scavenger hunts, various elves on various shelves and lots of live music.
If it wasn't apparent already, in the words of Jimmy Chews himself, there's about to be "So much Christmas that Mariah Carey is going to look like the Grinch".
Leeds Christmas Markets are returning to Leeds City Square from Thursday 19 November and there will be plenty of exciting announcements to the upcoming celebrations ahead of the big day.
Aldi has announced a ‘special’ 62-hour closure of all its 1,000+ stores across UK
Emily Sergeant
Aldi has confirmed it'll be closing the doors of all of its stores across the UK for 62 hours this year.
Christmas is always known to be one of the busiest periods of the year for the retail industry, and Boxing Day has a reputation for being the ultimate day for shopping deals and discounts in the UK - but this year, just like it has done on several years in the past, Aldi has made the decision to close all of its stores nationwide on this bank holiday.
The supermarket retailer says it wants to thank its colleagues 'for all their hard work' throughout the year by giving them some extra time to spend with their families.
This means that all Aldi stores will be closed on both 25 and 26 December.
That's not all though, as stores will also be closed on New Year’s Day, and will reopen once again on Saturday 2 January 2027.
Aldi has announced a 'special' 62-hour closure of all its UK stores / Credit: Aldi UK
Opening hours at different Aldi stores across the UK will vary in the lead-up to Christmas, so it's important to check the times for your local store, but the retailer has confirmed that most branches will be operating extended hours to 'ensure customers can stock up ahead of the big day'
In the interim period between Christmas and New Year, stores will reopen as usual on Sunday 27 through to Wednesday 30 December, with reduced hours also likely on Sunday and New Year's Eve.
Speaking on the decision to shut up shop for a full 62-hour period this festive season, Rachel Geary, who is the Communications Director at Aldi UK, said: "Christmas is a special time for our customers, but it is also one of the busiest periods of the year for our teams.
"Our colleagues work incredibly hard to ensure customers can pick up everything they need ahead of the big day.
"We never take that effort for granted. Closing our stores on Boxing Day is one way of saying thank you and giving colleagues a proper chance to rest, switch off and spend more time with the people closest to them."
Sophie Smith -
14th November 2022 
