Sir Kevin Sinfield will run through Saddleworth as part of his latest fundraising challenge for motor neurone disease (MND).

Grasscroft's own Sir Kevin Sinfield sets off on 7 in 7: The Grand Finale on Sunday, September 27. He and his team will run from Hull Kingston Rovers' Sewell Group Craven Park stadium to Old Trafford, where he will deliver the match ball for Super League's Grand Final on Saturday, October 3.

The route will visit all 12 English-based teams in rugby league's top flight. Saddleworth features on the fifth leg, between Huddersfield Town's Accu Stadium and Salford City FC's Peninsula Stadium, on Thursday, October 1.

A seven-kilometre block of the ultra-marathons he will complete, with each beginning an hour after the last one, will end and start at Uppermill's Abaco. Churchill Playing fields will also host an Extra Mile event on that day, in which members of the MND community can join him.

He will enter Saddleworth over the A62 before dropping into Diggle. From there, it is on to Uppermill and Greenfield, then heading up Oldham Road to Lydgate before dropping through Grotton, Springhead and Lees.

The run aims to add to the £11 million he has raised in the name of friend and former Leeds Rhinos team-mate Rob Burrow. His first challenge started in the car park opposite The Farrars Arms in Grasscroft in 2020, when he set off to run seven marathons in seven days with a fundraising target of £77,777 for Burrow.

Preparation has taken place around his work as skills and kicking coach for England's rugby union team, including time in Argentina and South Africa. He said: "We got chased by a pack of dogs on one particular day in Argentina," He added: "That was a bit interesting."

He said much of his time in South Africa was spent on a treadmill because they were not allowed out of the hotel unless they were going training. He managed one run outside, a 3km loop at the training ground on the morning of a game.

His knighthood was confirmed in 2026's King's Birthday Honours list. He said: "I'm still just massively humbled by the whole thing," He added: "I've just done a bit of running for a mate."

He said a cure remains the dream, but more urgent work is caring for families living with MND now. Six charities are set to benefit from this year's fundraising, the MND Association, Leeds Hospitals Charity, My Name5 Doddie Foundation, Darby Rimmer Foundation, MND Scotland and the Irish MND Association.