Runners and wheelchair users from 189 nations have signed up for the 2022 Wings for Life World Run to raise funds for spinal cord research. The participants of ‘the biggest run on earth’ will be lining up together in large groups on May 8 at 11 UTC.
Since 2014, a significant 1 million participants in total have joined the global movement to raise funding for spinal cord research. In 2021, a total of 184,236 participants from 195 nations took part in the last Wings for Life World Run – ‘more participants than in any other running event ever.’
With the event taking place via physical starting lines of seven Flagship Runs around the world and individually on the virtual starting line, via the App Run, 100% of all entry fees will be going to spinal cord research to find a cure for spinal cord injury.
Registration for the 9th annual edition of the Wings for Life World Run is still possible at wingsforlifeworldrun.com.
International celebrities such as football star Neymar da Silva Santos Jr, tennis pros Matteo Berrettini and Stefanos Tsitsipas, skiing legend Lindsey Vonn, five-time Dakar Rally champion Cyril Despres and watersport icon Robby Naish – to name just a few – are planning to take part on Sunday, May 8, and are encouraging their followers to join them.
“One of the things that’s so unique about the Wings for Life World Run is that we have the opportunity to involve so many ambassadors from so many different parts of the world,” said Colin Jackson, Global Sports Director of the Wings for Life World Run, and former world champion hurdler for Great Britain.
“We have a wide range of resources to make that happen, and they all want to get involved and support this great cause, whether they are skiers, rally drivers, F1 drivers, or athletes from other fields – you name it.
“Like everyone else, they can start at a Flagship Run or use the App to take part and see their name on the Global Result List. For their followers is a huge booster to join them at the starting line, which is certainly one of the reasons why the Wings for Life World Run became the biggest run of all times and a global movement to raise funds for spinal cord research.”
The unique race format makes it possible for participants with completely different levels of training, fitness and goals to compete together. Participants from all around the world start at exactly the same time at 11am UTC.
Then, 30 minutes after the start, the Catcher Car, or to be more precise a rolling finish line, starts moving from behind. This gradually picks up speed as it catches and then passes participants one at a time until the winners of each category are determined.
“The beauty of the Wings for Life World Run is that absolutely everyone can participate and be part of something really big,” said Anita Gerhardter, CEO of the not-for-profit foundation Wings for Life.
“Last year was really huge – incredible given the circumstances. We are looking so much forward to Sunday to have another great day with our global community.
100% of all the entry fees of the Wings for Life World Run goes to work in a laboratory or a clinic, and we have seen amazing results in the past couple of years, so we are looking into the future with really high hopes. To find a cure for spinal cord injury: it’s unstoppable.”
Fans at home can be as close to the action as possible by viewing the Live Experience on www.wingsforlifeworldrun.com and www.redbull.tv. The show starts at 10.15 UTC.
