Santas Take Flight from Headingley Campus for Festive Finale in Support of Kevin Sinfield’s Marathon Challenge

Leeds Beckett University's Headingley Campus, and thousands of Santas, provided a fun finale to Kevin Sinfield's latest fundraising efforts on Sunday 7 December.

The Jane Tomlinson Run for All Santa Dash coincided with the final miles of the 2025 7in7: Together Challenge, which saw Sinfield run seven ultra-marathons in seven days across the UK. He began on 1 December in East Anglia and visited Cork, Swansea, Sheffield, Cumbria, and Dundee, before concluding in Yorkshire.

The 3km Santa Dash began at LBU's Headingley Campus and formed a major celebratory part of the final day of Sinfield's challenge, which finished at Headingley Stadium.

Thousands of supporters were able to directly participate in the challenge by completing the 3km distance from Leeds Beckett to Headingley Stadium. Dressed in Santa attire, families, friends and supporters chose to run, jog, walk or wheel the accessible 3km route.

Sinfield and his team raised more than £1.15m during this week's challenge and has now raised over £10 million for Motor Neurone Disease charities, inspired by his late friend and former teammate, Leeds Rhinos great and fellow LBU alumnus, Rob Burrow CBE.

All profits will be donated directly to the challenge, benefiting six MND charities: the MND Association, Leeds Hospitals Charity, Irish MND Association, Darby Rimmer Foundation, My Name'5 Doddie Foundation, and MND Scotland.

Leeds Beckett is proud to continually support Kevin, the Burrows family, and Leeds Rhinos. Having provided sports science support for previous challenges, Leeds Beckett also hosted the MND Mile earlier this year - an accessible, dedicated one-mile route held as part of the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon weekend.

This inclusive event, open to all ages and abilities, provides a powerful platform for supporters to demonstrate action or the cause.

Lindsey Burrow was honoured in 2025 with an Honorary Doctorate in health in recognition of her outstanding public and voluntary service. The honour acknowledges her inspiring journey supporting Rob Burrow CBE, as well as her dedication to fundraising and campaigning for the MND community.

Please read more and access the donation link via the Give As You Live website.