Wigan fan taking on 7 half Ironman Triathlons in 7 days for Rob Burrow

Drew Darbyshire
Rob Burrow

A Wigan fan is aiming to complete seven half Ironman Triathlons in seven days in honour of his sporting hero Rob Burrow.

Burrow has been battling motor neurone disease since his diagnosis in 2019. Martyn Clarke is raising money for Burrow and the MND Association.

The 47-year-old dad of three has received help in from Sale Sharks, Leeds and Wigan in regards to training, health checks and nutrition.

Clarke will start his mammoth challenge on Saturday, December 11 at 8am.

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Running for Rob Burrow

He said: “I’ve been overwhelmed by the response from around the world, they’ve all been touched by Rob’s story. I met him and his family a few weeks ago and his dad has sent some really special messages.

“It started out as a small idea and has just grown and grown. It is now a global Ironman Triathlon! There are around five guys who are going to run with me, around 10 people will be cycling on the Saturday and Sunday with me and upwards of 20 people will be running with me and people from around the world have contacted me to say they will be joining me.

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“How do I prepare myself mentally for something like this? I don’t know… if you think about how much it is going to hurt, you probably wouldn’t do it. Once my training is completed it will be a case of eating well, trying to sleep, spending time with the family, blocking it out of my mind.

“I have done triathlons and Ironmans in the past but never anything on this scale.”

Click here to make a donation to Martyn’s JustGiving fundraising page.

For more information about MND and the MND Association, visit www.mndassociation.org.

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