Leeds marathon: Rob Burrow's wife smashes fundraising target raising more than £80,000

Lindsey Burrow was among the 12,000 people to run the inaugural race, collecting an impressive sum for Leeds Hospitals Charity in the process. The charity wants to build a specialist motor neurone disease care centre that will be named after Rob, who was diagnosed with the debilitating disease back in 2019.

The marathon on Sunday (May 14) was the first in Leeds in 20 years and was organised to help the fundraising efforts. Lindsey had originally set out to raise £7,777, a nod to the number on Rob’s shirt when he was playing, but the total on her fundraising page currently stands at £85,000.

She told BBC Leeds: “Honestly, I’m absolutely lost for words. I’m quite emotional actually thinking about it. I’m just a working mum, and I know obviously Rob’s wife, but that will make a real difference [to the charity].”

People across the country were moved by footage of the touching moment rugby league legend Kevin Sinfield carried his friend Rob over the finish line having pushed him round the course in a specially-adapted chair.