Sir Kevin Sinfield dreams of winning EuroMillions when epic charity runs get tough

Sir Kevin Sinfield dreams of winning EuroMillions when epic charity runs get tough Sir Kevin Sinfield, who has raised £11million from his previous six fundraising events, describes his latest effort - seven ultramarathons in seven days - as "doing a bit of running for a mate" in Rob Burrow Sir Kevin Sinfield dreams of winning the EuroMillions when the going gets tough in his epic MND charity runs. The shy superhero has raised £11million from his previous six fundraising events. He describes his latest effort - seven ultramarathons in seven days - as "doing a bit of running for a mate". The friend is rugby league legend and Sir Kevin's former team mate Rob Burrow, who died in 2024 after living with motor neurone disease (MND) for more than four years. Dad-of-two Sir Kevin dreams of winning the lottery to fund a cure for the disease - and buy a new car for his dad Ray - in times of need. Asked how he handles the mental battle of running more than 30 miles a day, he said: "I dream of winning the EuroMillions. That is my favourite one. "It is always the same amount, my dad always gets a new car. Then we cure MND with it." Sir Kevin Sinfield launches latest MND fundraiser Speaking at Old Trafford where he launched his last fundraiser at the SuperLeague Dream Team event, he admitted that the training "just gets harder" as you grow older. His aim is to help as many MND sufferers as possible. Rob Burrow, his former Leeds Rhinos team mate, raised more than £20m for MND research. Sir Kevin has added another £11m. Sir Kevin told how his latest venture will help research to find a cure, and support those who have been diagnosed with the disease. "I finished the last block of running on Saturday which was my birthday. The challenge now is to stay fit and healthy and be really smart for the next two weeks," he said. "I have not trained harder; it just gets harder and I am getting older. It would be great to find a cure, we are still a fair stretch from that. The cure is the dream for everyone involved. "In the short term, we have to help the families diagnosed today and tomorrow. We are letting them down, and that has been the case for decades. We can help them. "Then there is the awareness because it makes such a difference when people know and understand this condition. "Over past three and four years, at the stops in the running, we have brought people together, and that shows the love support for the MND families. "And can share in grief for the families who have lost loved ones. I am a shy bloke; I have love for the team who have been immense through all this." 'We did this for Rob' Asked about the secret of his success, he said they had been "incredibly lucky" with the timing of their first effort during Covid. He added: "There were no other charity or sporting events, and people wanted to give their money, it was just incredible. I never forget why we started this - it was to run for Rob, it has always been about doing a bit of running for a mate. "I did a half marathon on Saturday and then had a recovery, and I went for a meal as most people do for their birthday. Juggling family time and work is tough for everybody preparing for a marathon. It is just the same for me." He has just returned from South Africa where he said he was "chased by a pack of dogs" while training. He has also been to Argentina, where he was told that he might have to 'barricade himself in the hotel' in Buenos Aires during the England v Argentina World Cup semi final. He has completed an incredible 500km of training over the past few weeks. The dad, from Oldham, Greater Manchester, has also been in touch with Jai Arrow, the forward for the South Sydney Rabbitohs, who announced his immediate retirement from the National Rugby League (NRL) in May after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) at age 30. 'There is a war to be won against MND' Sir Kevin is Australia next year for the rugby World Cup and 'has an idea' about doing one more charity event abroad. But he wanted to bring the curtain down on his UK exploits, with a tour of the rugby league grounds of the North at the end of this month. "I needed to release the team, and this is something I could do," he added. "The support for Rob and the Burrow family in Leeds is always great. "I look forward to going back there thanks to my history with the city. I'm also really looking forward going back to the North West, seeing the people who have supported us. "I know it will be an incredible week. It sounds strange given the rivalry but I always get a warm welcome in Hull and I love going there. "All the Superleague clubs have been great, after the final on October 3 is over, and the battle is over, there is a war to be won against MND and I hope they can help with that." He admits that he still "does not like running" but added: "I makes you a better person, and a bit kinder. I would always encourage people to exercise, getting out there in the open air is so good for you, for your mental health. The good thing is that people are always nice to me now. "Opposition clubs were always respectful to me after I retired from the game, and we have seen the best of our home nations. The fans always turn up with a big smile which is so important and the nice thing is that people don't just talk bout rugby now, they talk about running and the MND community." Sir Kevin, who turned 46 on Saturday, will visit all 12 English Betfred Super League grounds from Sept 27 to Oct 3 as he completes seven ultra marathons in seven days. Now an England rugby union coach, he has already completed six epic endurance challenges for MND research. He will start at Hull Kingston Rovers on September 28 and call in at the grounds of the 11 other English top-flight rugby league clubs along the way. The "7 in 7: The Grand Finale" venture is set to finish on the pitch at Old Trafford ahead of the Super League Grand Final. As part of his challenge, he will run a mile each day alongside people affected by the neurodegenerative illness. Each day will be separated into 7 km blocks, which Sinfield has to complete within an hour. His route will take him across the Pennines on day five, and that day he will visit Wigan Warriors and Leigh Leopards. The last run sets off at St Helens, calls at Warrington Wolves, and then heads to Manchester. You can find out full details of this year’s challenge using this link.