9 May 2025 News
Thousands of runners from across the motor neurone disease (MND) community will come together this weekend to celebrate the life of Association Patron Rob Burrow CBE.
The city of Leeds will come to a standstill on Saturday and Sunday as runners from across the UK take part in the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon and to pay tribute to the former Leeds Rhinos legend who died from MND last summer, aged 41.
The two-day event, which is being run by Jane Tomlinson’s Run for All, begins tomorrow, Saturday, when an MND Mile will be held at Leeds Beckett Headingley Campus. On Sunday, a marathon relay will be held alongside a half and full marathon.
Among those taking part for the first time will be Andrew Gough, who was diagnosed with Primary Lateral Sclerosis (PLS), a form of MND, last year. He will be pushed around the course by his son, Matthew and other members of Clan Gough and is aiming to raise £7,777 – inspired by Rob Burrow’s iconic number 7 shirt.
He said: “I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve known the Burrow family for a long time, and I’ve been inspired to get involved by Rob and his story. I know it will be emotional for me but I’m sure it will be a wonderful experience.”
For the third consecutive year, the MND Association is proud to be a charity partner for the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon. The Association supports people living with MND, their families and carers across England, Wales and Northern Ireland and is the largest charity funder of MND research in the UK.
The MND Association’s Director of Income Generation, Jo Coker said: “The MND Association is extremely proud to be a charity partner for the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon
“This year feels especially poignant as we remember and pay tribute to our late patron Rob Burrow, who did so much to raise funds and awareness of MND, for which we will be forever grateful.
“Over the past two years our incredible runners have raised more than £2 million on behalf of the Association at this event, money which will allow us to do so much more to support people living with MND and their families while investing in world-class research taking us closer to the discovery of potential new treatments for this cruel disease.
“We wish all our runners the very best of luck and look forward to cheering them on!”