probably pound for pound the strongest player in the squad and the strongest player in super league. just feel so honoured to have played alongside him. theirs is a friendship forged in the cauldron of professional sport. do you want a hand? i mightjust getting him in. and since rob burrow�*s diagnosis of motor neurone disease three years ago, his former leeds rhinos team—mate kevin sinfield has taken an increasingly arduous challenges. i used to be a 32 waist! i hope that is comfortable. the latest and by far the hardest, seven ultra marathons in seven days. a total of 300 miles. it started at murrayfield in edinburgh, the home of scottish rugby. former international doddy weir

was there to see them off, just two weeks before he died. i can't wait to get going. i think the support, as you can see this morning, has been incredible. we didn't expect this at all, to have doddie here and cathy. it's been a big build—up, but we are on the way now. we are going to send kevin- on his way with a massive cheering three, two, one! off you go, kevin! there he goes, ladies and gentlemen x! - wearing the number seven in honour of his great friend rob burrow. - ahead of the team, a a0 mile run through the scottish borders. the expertise of the support group was vital from the early stages. thanks for coming, everybody. people come out, and it has been brilliant. as you can see, the weather is for november, in scotland, we didn't expect this!

when you are running, especially at the pace he's running now, the same muscle groups mainly do all the work, so it is mainly just trying to keep them as good as we can, really, and hoping for the best. but he has got the strongest muscle appear, which makes the job a bit easier. —— up here. the first night was spent at doddie's hometown rugby club melrose. crowd's amazing again, isn't it? it's nice to be at the rugby club, and doddy played here. carl who is with us, that was their club. so, yes, very nice. thank you for coming down.

not sure about the qwigan shirt. across the border and into england, crowds were growing, both in size and volume as the news of his exploits spread. cheering. 280 miles in a week. what would that be like? faster than i can run! like going to blackpool or something. - supporters from the roadside and on the road, before olympic runner steve cram was among those who joined the runners. i'm a bit embarrassed, i've only run a very short distance with him. you were fast, though! you picked the pace up! i know, but as i said, this is one of those things which, thankfully, it is the spotlight which it draws on it, and as the week goes on, i'm sure he's going to get incredible support all along the way. thank you again you! applause. cold?

by day three, the weather, which had been kind so far, changed, with an amber warning for rain. but if kevin wasn't bothered, nor were the crowds. we have run out already, haven't we? brilliant! we gave him some support. he is doing a grand job. it's fantastic what he's done, i and it's also raising awareness as well for this disease, | and it is nice that we are here to applaud him. he needs to come back down by the morning again, doesn't he? as kev counted down the miles, his support team were counting the calories.

he was burning nearly four times the daily amount. having a nutritionist on your case, you know, there were a few times when he was breathing down your neck. this time, he has got what we are trying to do and he understands it, and he has been signalling back to the car to say, i am top of the class. he is doing fantastic, doing it without prompting almost. at each stop, the team invited someone whose life is affected by mnd to bang the drum. that was the point, raising awareness as as money. seven beats. seven was rob's shirt number, and the theme of the week. many people said during a week that kevin sinfield is a machine, but a machine does not have a heart. it's great to meet kev. it's amazing what he's doing for all of those living with mnd. catherine was diagnosed 8.5 years ago, and at that point, _ unless you are actually affected by it, you have probably- never heard of it. that's the big step forward.

the awareness of everybody is what it's all about. - by now, halfway to the destination of old trafford, umbrellas formed a guard of honour at every stop but as team morale began to dip, a huge boost came in the form from the three runners wives. as if there's not enough moisture in the air! you have got everybody now crying again. how are you doing. all right, all right. chuffed? a tough day. still got a lot to do, but a bit of emotion around today. we are tired as well, but not far off. 0k, thank you. due to! ——you too! with every step, every note collected, every cheer cheering. the message spread.

i just want to thank everybody. cheering. arriving in york left kevin's former team—mate jamie peacock lost for words. how was your day? yeah, it's been epic. just really humbling, i think, to be part of this. so, yeah. and the reception? yes, i'mjusta bit... day six, the penultimate day saw the team arrive at headingley, the leeds rhinos ground, and a welcome home from rob himself. cheering.

i know you are all stood side—to—side with us, just like we tried to do for rob. he is in the family. our team can't thank you enough for the support and awareness we've created, the money we have raised. i'm sure there have been a fewjokes and things along the way and if you tale is told, but we have been watching in awe, and incredibly proud of them. for them to do this challenge, it isjust mind blowing. cheering. he is in touch with kevin all the time. in touch with his machine. he has been sending him lovely messages, you know, keep it going, mate. it is unbelievable, the friendship between them. it is fantastic. everybody needs a friend like kevin. they do, they do. then onto bradford city football club to meet stephen darby,

another elite sportsman living with mnd. the emotional struggle was plain to see. as the last of the seven days dawned, kev and his fellow runners chris and dave were held together by tape. the finish line was still so far away, but the support was staggering, even if they were not! what has your body said to you? it is broken. taping on calves and hamstrings, and great work, just going a kilometre at a time now. it is really tough. on saddleworth in kev�*s back yard, he was met by former striker marcus stewart, who was diagnosed recently. kevin is a beacon of hope, - that's what he is, to a lot of us. you know, he's doing his best,

for his mate rob as well, - along with his mates who are running with him, so the awareness- is happening at the moment. it is great. the timing of it, he does not do it very often - but when he does, it is big. so hopefully that will be the right way for him. i the final leg, and on their last legs, but they have done it. murrayfield to manchester, 300 miles. and on to the old trafford pitch during the rugby league world cup final, to a rousing reception. cheering. kevin, you have done seven ultramarathons in seven days. you said you were just going for a run for a mate. what kept you going? that exact thought. it is all about friendship, and the love for rob.

cheering. we have met some incredible people along the journey from edinburgh, but there is one thing for sure, that our country cares, it cares about people that need help, and that mnd community need us. ladies and gentlemen, please show your appreciation for kevin sinfield and his amazing support team. kevin sinfield and his team raised more than £2.25 million, butjust as important was the increased awareness of mnd, and giving a voice to those whose lives are blighted by this terrible, incurable and cruel disease.

hello there. after a very wet morning, skies did brighten up through the afternoon for many of us with some sunshine, a few showers dotted around here and there, it was very mild across the south. but we see a return to the cloudy, wet weather for many of us as we head into new year's eve as well. so the last day of 2022 staying quite unsettled because of low pressure. now, as this area of low pressure from today starts to pull out into the norwegian sea, we could see a real squeeze in the isobars across the northern half of scotland this evening and overnight. further south outbreaks of rain, a few clear spells and it will be milder here as well. as we head into new year's eve, more rain pushing into england and wales to the day, some of it will be heavy at times and places. across scotland, it stays cold with wintry nests across the north highlands there, again, a cold day to come in the north, very mild in the south. as we push closer to midnight, rain through central parts of the uk, and chilly with

showers to the north, a dry spell for a time in the south.

this is bbc news broadcasting to viewers in the uk and around the world. i'm david eades, the headlines. the bbc understands that britain will introduce covid testing for arrivals from china after a surge in cases there. six years of donald trump's tax returns that he'd refused to make public are released in the us. brazil lights up in honour of pele as the first day of national mourning begins for the footballing legend. controversial online influencer andrew tate is detained in romania as part of a human trafficking and rape investigation. a coordinated call between russia and china. putin tells president xi he wants more military cooperation.