This year’s challenge to raise more much needed funds for the motor neurone disease association and creation of the Rob Burrow Centre for MND.

As you will know from my previous challenge running 77km last winter, the Rob Burrow Appeal is a cause very close to my heart having first photographed Rob at the Leeds Rhinos Academy when I was a junior photographer and then watching his amazing career through my lens for nearly the next 20 years. Rob was one of those players that made magic happen on the field.

Watching the news of Rob's MND diagnoses was heartbreaking, I've shed many tears watching the reports on BBC breakfast. Rob's positivity raising awareness for Motor Neurone Disease Association had been inspiring.

There's a huge appeal to raise £5 million to build a Centre for Motor Neurone Disease named after Rob in Leeds. Rob's former teammate Kevin Sinfield running heroics has already raised a few millions towards the appeal. When Kevin was interviewed after his latest challenge he said "The goal is for the centre to be build in time so Rob can open it". This really moved me and couldn't stop thinking about it ahead of the 77km challenge and this is still my sole motivation for this new  challenge.

The 77km challenge was the toughest thing I’ve ever done. But this challenge needed to be harder, harder than anything I’ve done before.  Persuade you to part with a few quid towards this important cause.  

So January 14th 2023 I’ll be back in Silverdale Country Park running a backyard ultra marathon. Yes, January.

What’s a backyard ultra? You run the same 4.167 mile loop on the hour, every hour for 24 hours. Why 4.167 miles? Because 24 loops adds up to 100 miles. 100 miles!

Lets raise as much funds as we can and get this centre as soon as possible, so they can support people like Rob. 

Please give what you can and if you fancy coming down for a 4.16 mile loop in January.  See you there.

Thank you

Gareth