The Wings for Life World Run is a running competition held on the first weekend of May since

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

to collect funds for the not-for-profit foundation ''Wings for Life''. The entry fee goes completely to Spinal Cord Research. It became the largest running event in 2021 with 184,236 runners participating in one single event. The Wings for Life World Run is peculiar in that participants don't have to run a specific distance like in comparable competitions. At the Wings for Life World Run, all participants start at the same time, worldwide. It doesn’t matter whether they are professional athletes, fun runners, total beginners or in a wheelchair. There is no traditional finish line. Instead, a "Catcher Car" pursues and passes the runners and rollers, one after the other either physically at one of the Flagship Runs or virtually with the app, will be caught. That makes it the only race worldwide where everyone finishes. The run is broadcast live on

The Wings for Life Foundation and the Wings for Life World Run

The not-for-profit foundation ''Wings for Life'' was established by the two-time motocross world champion

Heinz Kinigadner Heinz Kinigadner (born 28 January 1960) is an Austrian former professional motocross racer. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1978 to 1988. Kinigadner is notable for being the first Austrian competitor to win an FIM motocross ...

and the

Red Bull Red Bull is a brand of energy drinks of Austria, Austrian company Red Bull GmbH. With 38% market share, it is the most popular energy drink brand as of 2019. Since its launch in 1987, more than 100 billion cans of Red Bull have been sold worldwid ...

founder Dietrich Mateschitz in 2004. Its goal is to find a cure for

spinal cord injuries A spinal cord injury (SCI) is damage to the spinal cord that causes temporary or permanent changes in its function. Symptoms may include loss of muscle function, sensation, or autonomic function in the parts of the body served by the spinal cor ...

and

paraplegia Paraplegia, or paraparesis, is an impairment in motor or sensory function of the lower extremities. The word comes from Ionic Greek () "half-stricken". It is usually caused by spinal cord injury or a congenital condition that affects the neural ...

. Therefore, the foundation supports research and studies about spinal cord and spinal cord injuries financially. Anita Gerhardter is CEO. Founder Kinigadner himself is concerned because his brother and his son, both motocross riders too, are in wheelchairs after injuries. After two years of preparations the first Wings for Life World Run was started on May 4, 2014 to raise funds, at the same time arouse attention on limitations and medical problems of paraplegia. Following the success of the first edition the race is now an annual event. The race is open to everybody, professionals as well as members or non-members of running clubs. The entry fee is donated entirely to the foundation, the main sponsor Red Bull covers the costs of the event. The fees vary somewhat depending on the choice of location.Participating is possible in one of the Falgship events or virtually via the Wings for Life World Run app. The Motto of the race is: :"Running for those who can’t."

"World" Run

The name Wings for Life ''World'' Run comes from the fact that the race takes place around the world at the same time. That means that runners in Europe or Africa run around noon while participants in Asia and

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

in the afternoon or evening. In the

Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...

the race is early in the morning or even during the night. In 2021, David Kilgore set an American record for the Red Bull Wings for Life World Run.

The "Catcher Car"

The Wings for Life World Run is outstanding because there is no prescribed distance to cover. Thus runners of very different levels can equally take part. The last remaining female and male runners worldwide are the ''Wings for Life World Run Global Champions'' . The conditions and tracks vary quite a lot. The Catcher Cars are steered precisely using global satellite navigation hence a comparison between the different locations is nonetheless possible. The following table show how fast the car rides at what time after the start and how far it is at each speed change.

References

External links

Official website of the foundation

Official website of the competition
{{Portal, Athletics Road running competitions Fundraising events Spinal cord May observances Dietrich Mateschitz