Princess Anne meets Sinfield on the MND ultramarathon run

Princess Anne met Sir Kevin Sinfield on Monday on the second day of what will be his last major fundraising run for people with motor neurone disease. The Princess has been Royal Patron of the Motor Neurone Disease Association since 2008.

Princess Anne with Sir Kevin Sinfield. Photo: The Royal Household

Motor neurone disease is an umbrella term for conditions that break down the nerve cells controlling the muscles. ALS is the most common form.

• Seven ultramarathons in seven days

Sinfield, one of the great figures of British rugby league, set off from Hull on 27 September. Over seven days he and his team will run an ultramarathon every single day, taking in all twelve English Super League grounds before finishing at Old Trafford ahead of the league's Grand Final.

The Princess greeted the team running alongside Sinfield. Photo: The Royal Household

Each day's stage is broken into blocks of seven kilometres. This is the seventh and last challenge in the series, and the six before it have raised more than 15 million pounds between them.

• In memory of Rob Burrow

Behind the runs lies his friendship with Rob Burrow, his former team-mate at Leeds Rhinos. Burrow died in June 2024 at the age of 41, after living with motor neurone disease for more than four years.

Princess Anne wore the association's badge on her jacket. Photo: The Royal Household

The money goes mainly to the Motor Neurone Disease Association, but also to several other organisations in the field, among them MND Scotland, the Irish MND Association and the fund building the Rob Burrow Centre in Leeds.

• A mile on the running track

The Princess also met patients, families and volunteers at the University of York athletics track. It hosts what is called the Extra Mile, where people affected by the disease can run or roll a mile alongside Sinfield and his team.

Many had turned out along the track. Photo: The Royal Household