Marking the end of Kevin Sinfield’s 7in7 Ultramarathon challenge, Santa Dash runners raised money for six MND charities.
Lee Nicholson, Elland Road stadium announcer, was invited to host the fun run, and he said, “it’s absolutely brilliant… to say it’s the first ever one and to have 3000 people, it’s quite something.”
The run started at Leeds Beckett University’s Headingley Campus, before ending at Headingley Stadium. A flurry of red and white was all that could be seen on The Acre.
Kevin Sinfield led the army of Santas, as he concluded his 7in7 challenge in support of Motor Neurone Disease, which his former Leeds Rhinos teammate, Rob Burrow, unfortunately passed away from last year.
All funds raised will go towards six charities: the MND Association, Leeds Hospitals Charity, Irish MND Association, Darby Rimmer Foundation, My Name’s Doddie Foundation and MND Scotland.
Wasim Hussain, representative of Leeds Hospitals Charity, said, “it’s always a battle to raise funds and to get our name out there, so exposure like this is brilliant.
“A lot of people are wearing our T-Shirts today and our running vests… we’re a local charity based in Leeds, so for us this is unbelievable.”
Not only did the Santa Dash successfully raise money and awareness for charity, but it also brought plenty of festive cheer to the community in the run-up to Christmas.
Participants described the event as “very wholesome”, with others commending Kevin Sinfield’s charity work as “absolutely fantastic.”
The Run For All association have already announced a second Leeds Santa Dash in 2026 following the great success of the inaugural run, where runners will continue to fundraise and raise awareness.
