Kevin Sinfield: Where to see the Yorkshire legs of his 300-mile run

Kevin Sinfield is to begin the Yorkshire leg of his attempt to run seven ultra marathons in seven days to raise money for charity on Thursday.

The rugby league star's 300-mile (482km) challenge sees him run from Edinburgh to Manchester, via Melrose, Newcastle, York, Leeds and Bradford.

Money raised by Sinfield's efforts will go towards motor neurone disease (MND) charities.

His former Leeds Rhinos teammate Rob Burrow was diagnosed with MND in 2019.

He has already raised more than £5m in his friend's name, and said he hoped the challenge would raise £777,777.

Sinfield is running 41 miles (67.4km) from Stokesley - six miles south-east of the border between Durham and North Yorkshire - to York; finishing at York Minster at about 15:30 GMT.

The route will largely follow the A19, passing Knayton and North Kilvington, before joining the A61 through Thirsk then back onto the A19 towards York.

He will run into the city through Clifton and Bootham, before entering the city centre via High Petergate, to finish the day's run outside York Minster.

According to his website he set off at 06:57 GMT and is scheduled to make stops at:

For a map of the full route click here:

The day's 35-mile (56.4km) run begins at 06:57 GMT at York Minster and ends in Bradford with Sinfield heading through York's Micklegate Bar, the traditional royal entrance into the city, and on past the Knavesmire racecourse, to join the A64, where he will head to the brewery town of Tadcaster.

Once through Tadcaster he will re-join the A64 and head to Leeds where he will run past St James's Hospital and on to Leeds Beckett University, passing the Rob Burrow mural on the way.

At Headingley Stadium he will meet up with Burrow, before his route takes him over the River Aire at Kirkstall and on towards Bramley and Leeds Road, all the way to Bradford Cathedral, before finishing at Valley Parade.

He is due to start at 06:57 and is scheduled to make stops at:

For a map of the full route click here:

The final day of Sinfield's epic challenge sees him run 38 miles (61km) all the way from Bradford to Manchester's Old Trafford.

From Valley Parade at 06:57 GMT he will head to Centenary Square and on towards Halifax town centre, where he will cross the River Calder at Wharf Street and continue on past Ripponden to Booth Wood Reservoir, before passing under the M62, to the Rams Head Inn.

From there he will pass through Sholver, Moorside and Watersheddings, before reaching Oldham and on to the Canal towpath of the Rochdale Canal into Manchester city centre, and finally to Old Trafford.

The day's scheduled stops are:

For a map of the full route click here:

This is not the first time the former rugby player has challenged himself to complete arduous feats to raise awareness and funds for MND.

Sinfield ran seven marathons in seven days in 2020 followed by a 101-mile run in 24 hours in 2021.

Sinfield, now part of the coaching team at Leicester Tigers, said the new fundraising challenge came after former Scottish rugby union player Doddie Weir and ex-Bradford City footballer Stephen Darby were both diagnosed with MND.

The money raised will support five charities which help people affected by MND, as well as research, including the new £5m Rob Burrow Motor Neurone Disease Care Centre in Leeds.

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