i'm lewis vaughn jones, i'm lewis vaughnjones, this is bbc news. burrow! seventh try! it is a little known - win for number seven, and it is seven for the leeds rhinos _ rob burrow, where do you start? absolute legend. this is burrow. probably pound for pound the strongest player in the squad, and the strongest guy 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. 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. used to be a 32 waist! i hope that's comfortable enough. 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 doddy 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 cheer in three, two, one... off you go, kevin! there he goes, ladies and gentlemen!

wearing the number seven, in honour of his great friend rob burrow. - ahead of the team, a 40—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 is running out, 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 up here, which makes the job a bit easier. the first night was spent at doddy�*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. cheering thank you very much. not sure about the shirt! everybody that has been out on the road was absolutely amazing, to come out and supporters, it has been incredible. 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.

—— the former olympic runner. i'm a bit embarrassed expect drive only won 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 well done, kev. 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 classic micro 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 well as money. seven beats. seven was rob's shirt number, and the theme of the week. many people said during a week that kevin 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. - awareness is properly as important |as the money, the end of the day. | 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.

as if not enough moisture in the air! you have got everybody now crying again. how are you doing. all right, all right. tough. 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. 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. applause 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 on things along the way and a few tales told, but we have been watching and are 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 in lovely messages, you know, keep it going, mate. it is unbelievable, the friendship between them. it is fantastic. everybody needs a friend like kevin. 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 he 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 onto 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. the first week of january 2023 looks pretty unsettled, with low pressure systems moving in off the atlantic, bringing some wind and rain at times. it will generally be on the mild side, but there will be some drier, chillier, more settled interludes in between these areas of low pressure — one such settled period will be through today, bank holiday monday, thanks this ridge of high pressure which should bring us a lot of dry and sunny weather around, but it will be colder

than what we've been used to. a chilly start this morning across northern and western areas. risk of ice for northern ireland, northern england, certainly across scotland, where we have some light snow. any showers across northwest england and southern south east india will tend to fizzle out through the day — they'll continue in the north and west of scotland, some wintry over the high ground. but plenty of sunshine through the morning and afternoon, but it will feel cooler, 3—9 celsius across the board. thereafter, low pressure systems move in to bring wet and windy weather at times — you can see it's generally mild, but tending a bit colder later in the week in the north.

this is bbc news — i'm lewis vaughanjones with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. 20 years after first becoming leader, lula da silva's sworn in as brazil's new president, in front of a crowd of 300,000 people. brazil has gotten through a few difficult years, it was hit hard by the pandemic, by political divide. but for these people here, they say this is a new beginning. thousands gather at the vatican after the death of benedict the sixteenth to hear pope francis pay tribute to his predecessor. translation: let us all join i together with one heart and one soul, in thanking god for this faithful servant, of the gospel and the church. after another wave of russian attacks, nato's secretary general, says support for ukraine, is long term.