Man completes 5,000-mile challenge for MND charity

Rob Tiffney is trying to raise £50,000 for the Motor Neurone Disease Association

A man has completed a 5,000-mile (8,047km) challenge to raise funds for motor neurone disease (MND) research, inspired by rugby league icon Rob Burrow.

After 500 days of walking and running, Rob Tiffney completed his challenge on Thursday, finishing with a two-day walk from Breaston in Derbyshire to Headingley Stadium, the home of Rob Burrow's rugby league club, Leeds Rhinos.

Without having a personal connection to the condition, Mr Tiffney said Burrow's MND diagnosis and story inspired him to create the challenge.

So far, the 49-year-old has raised more than £43,000 towards his £50,000 target, with donations still coming in following the completion of his trek.

Mr Tiffney has taken part in events such as the London Marathon as part of his 500-day challenge

During his 500 day challenge, Mr Tiffney, from Sandiacre in Derbyshire, has taken part in events such as the London Marathon, Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon, and multiple ultra marathons.

Mr Tiffney walked 45 miles (72.4km) from the Bulls Head pub in Breaston to Sheffield on Wednesday, followed by a 32-mile (51.5km) finish from Sheffield to Leeds on Thursday.

"My rule has been for the 500 days, whatever the weather or how my body feels, I go out with a flag and a money bucket," Mr Tiffney said.

"The support locally has been amazing and it's grown every day from day one to day 500."

When he started the challenge on 1 April 2024, Mr Tiffney said he wanted to raise £5,000, which would be £1 for every mile he completed.

"We hit that target on day 54 of the challenge, so we have been increasing it constantly," Mr Tiffney said.

"£50,000 for 5,000 miles has a nice ring to it, so we'll see how far we can go."

On Wednesday morning, Mr Tiffney said he raised £1,200 on his walk from Breaston to Heanor.

"I've had beeps from car horns whilst walking, people have stopped to give us kind words and putting some money in the bucket."

Kevin Sinfield helped his friend Rob Burrow raise millions of pounds for charity

After he was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2019, Rob Burrow and his friend and former team-mate Kevin Sinfield raised more than £15m for charity in less than five years, before Burrow died in June 2024, aged 41.

"When Rob came out about his diagnosis, I knew nothing about the disease," Mr Tiffney said.

"Seeing the effects it had on him and seeing what his friend Kevin Sinfield did, it just inspired me to do my own fundraising."

Mr Tiffney recalled the "amazing" moment he was able to run with Kevin Sinfield on day 250 on his challenge.

"He was injured and he shouldn't have done it but that's the man he is," Mr Tiffney added.

"It was an amazing moment to run alongside him, I knew he would never give up."