Kevin Sinfield has announced that the first Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon has raised over £4 million for over 300 different charities.
It total, the day saw 12,500 runners running across Leeds to raise money for a range of charities, but with a special focus on the MND community and building the Rob Burrow MND Centre here in Leeds.
A week on from the day, Kevin Sinfield, the inspirational former Leeds Rhinos player that 'just went on a run for a mate' announced the total:
"Oh behalf of Rob, Lindsey would like thank everyone for a huge team effort on Sunday, we made sure that the first Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon was a success and I hope it was a very special day for you, as it was for us.
"Runners, wheelchair users, volunteers, spectators, sponsors, Run For All, Leeds City Council, Leeds Rhinos, and all the different charities, all of you, thank you.
"I'm sure you will all agree the atmosphere was incredible, and that was down to you and all your hard work for our communities, the MND communities, friends, families and to bring everyone together, as a team.
"I am delighted to share with you that the running total raised for 341 for different charities across the UK now sits at over £4 million.
"Friendship was at the heart of this marathon. A run for a mate, with a mate and I hope you are all glowing in the knowledge that we get to help so many people across the UK who need us."
"I hope to see you all next year, it's important that we all keep banging the drum together, rest up, take care, thank you."
?️ Kevin Sinfield OBE would like to thank everyone who has made this possible pic.twitter.com/bwxGqF6OLW
— Jane Tomlinson’s Run For All (@runforall) May 19, 2023
Rob Burrow announced last week that “the marathon was one of the best days if my life, to be a part of it was amazing [...] I’m so happy to be involved in the first one of my marathons but I don’t think I’ll be in the race for the next one. I have retired.”
The 2024 Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon is set to take place on Sunday 12 May 2024 starting once again at Headingley Stadium, with over 10,000 participants expected to attend.
The Wombats aren’t just still going strong - they’re getting better. And honestly? Long may they reign.
The Wombats absolutely tore the roof off the First Direct Arena in Leeds last night, Wednesday 26 March and what a night it was.
From the second they hit the stage it wasn’t just a gig, it was a full-blown indie-pop spectacle, packed with infectious energy, nostalgia, and a whole lot of dancing.
They kicked things off with “Moving to New York,” and honestly? The crowd was in from the first note.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Matthew Murphy’s unmistakable vocals rang through the arena and suddenly, thousands of people were screaming every lyric like it was 2007 all over again. It was one of those moments where you could just feel how much this band still means to people.
Despite the massive venue, The Wombats somehow made it feel intimate. The lights? Pure chaos in the best way - vibrant, colourful, and totally in sync with the band’s wild, bouncy sound.
Murphy’s cheeky banter between songs made it feel less like a polished arena show and more like a jam session with a few thousand of your closest mates.
Setlist-wise, they nailed it. “Let’s Dance to Joy Division” and “Greek Tragedy” had the whole place losing it, while the stripped-down version of “Techno Fan” gave everyone a minute to breathe (and maybe get a little emotional).
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Those quieter moments just made the high-energy choruses hit even harder. It was a rollercoaster - in the best way possible.
Then came the encore. If you thought the crowd was loud before, “Kill the Director” took things to another level. Pure, chaotic indie bliss. The kind of moment you don’t want to end.
Here’s the thing about The Wombats: some might say their older songs hit harder than their newer stuff, but is that just nostalgia talking? Or maybe it’s a generational thing?
Either way, they proved they’re still one of the most exciting live bands out there. They’ve still got the hooks, the humour, and the ability to turn a massive arena into a sweaty, euphoric singalong.
Get Baked’s viral ‘Bertha’ cake has a sister on the way – and she sounds just as cheeky
Danny Jones
She's big, she's green and she's ready to ruin your figure.
A lot of you will have seen the viral ‘Bertha’ cake by Leeds born beloved sweet treat specialists Get Baked.
They recently opened another site in Manchester's Northern Quarter, where queues literally formed round the block of hungry punters wanting to get their hands on the infamous sugary treats.
And now it's going to happen all over again, as they've recently unveiled their newest flavour which is sure to go down a storm.
We’ll give you a hint: it’s a current food and drink trend that’s about as big as Bertha herself – it’s not matcha, it’s not hot honey (duh), and it’s not Guinness…
Images: Get Baked
Yes—scratch that; HELL YES!Get Baked is set to welcome Bertha’s equally beautiful twin sister, and she’s officially a pistachio girlie.
Having started out life simply as ‘Bruce’, after taking inspiration from the iconic scene from Matilda, this thing has become a phenomenon in its own right, and who doesn’t like more flavours of a good thing?
Probably one of the biggest foodie crazes going at the minute, thanks to the popularity of pistachio cream, cookies, lattes and the similar social media sensation that is the ‘Dubai Pistachio Bar' people are rather fittingly going nuts for this particular flavour of almost absolutely anything.
With that in mind, the Leeds-born bakery and dessert shop – founded by Rich Myers over in Headingley back in 2011 – have shown no hesitation in hopping on the bandwagon and creating a new twist on their own viral menu item.
Teasing the full details in a post on their Instagram this week, they wrote: “What’s big, green, and is going to destroy your life in a couple of weeks’ time? Pistachio Bertha. Strictly limited to 5,000 slices. Coming oh so soon. GB.”
In case you were wondering just how mad those with a sweet tooth could possibly go for a slice of cake, just look at the recent queues when they finally launched in Manchester city centre:
Speaking on the grand opening here on our turf and his partner Amy’s hometown, Myers said simply: “Manchester, what a launch. Thanks for much for the warm welcome. Stay baked.”
Sophie Smith -
22nd May 2023 
