Kevin Sinfield shares incredible story behind iconic Rob Burrow marathon image

Leeds Rhinos legend Kevin Sinfield details how his big pal Rob Burrow dug deep to make sure they won a personal MND battle in the 2023 Leeds Marathon

Leeds Rhinos legend Kevin Sinfield has highlighted Rob Burrow’s competitive streak with a fascinating insight into his late friend’s battle with motor neurone disease.

Former Leeds team-mate Burrow died in June after a long battle with the debilitating condition. One of the most enduring images of his charity work during his fight with the illness was of Sinfield carrying him across the finish line at the end of the inaugural Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon in 2023.

But the ex-England captain has revealed some of the difficulties he and his big pal faced when undertaking the course - and just how strong-willed Burrow still was.

Having pushed his mate in a wheelchair around the 26.2 miles course, Sinfield said: “During the first Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon, we were really concerned about Rob. We were having to stop a lot more than we’d have liked to.

"It was a really hot day in Leeds and we were starting to worry about him. There was another guy with motor neurone disease entered, who’d tried to do the London Marathon the month prior but had to pull out.

“Throughout the race we kept passing each other. We were moving quicker but had to keep stopping to get Rob out the chair and that’s when they would pass us. We got to about seven kilometres from the end and they passed us again. We got him back in the chair and that’s when he showed just what a competitor he still was.

“I said to him, ‘this is your marathon, are we going to come second to that guy?’ He looked at me and I asked him to smile if he wanted to go for it, and he gave me a big smile. He wasn’t going to lose that day.”

Rob's BBC podcast - recorded before his death earlier this year - is due to be released later this month, to coincide with what would have been his 42nd birthday. And his wife Lindsey hopes listeners will be reminded "what a great guy he was" and the fun he had during his final months.

"Rob had so much enjoyment recording the podcast," Lindsey explained. "He would want people to hear the episodes and the fun and the laughter, that was what Rob was about. He never felt sorry for himself. He just got on with life and I think he’d be proud to have this series out. I really hope people enjoy listening to it and remember what a great guy Rob was.”

Speaking on William Hill’s YouTube show, Club 501 , hosted by darts pundit and commentator Wayne Mardle, trophy-laden Sinfield has also revealed how he felt undeserving of the Golden Boot in 2012. He said: “I was never the best player on the planet. I got awarded the Golden Boot in 2012, which goes to the best player in the world, but I wasn’t.

"To be able to have that tag, I think you need to have won a World Cup or a big international series. Australia were better than us at the time, for a number of reasons. They had some better players and more talent. I wasn’t the best player in the world - but it’s a nice trophy to have at home.”