Running for a good cause

Wings For Life takes place this Sunday (7), simultaneously, in more than 190 countries with the aim of raising funds for the cure of spinal cord injury

Start of the Wings For Life World Run. Since it was created in 2014, the event has gathered more than 500,000 runners. (Disclosure)

The motto “Run for those who still cannot”, from the Wings for Life World Run, will have a special celebration this Sunday (5), in its 10th edition. Famous for not having a fixed finish line, the race will take place simultaneously in approximately 190 countries, with the expectation of more than 150,000 people participating, for a noble cause: raising funds for the Wings for Life Foundation in favor of healing of spinal cord injury.

For those who want to participate in this race, registration is still open and must be done by Wings For Life appworth R$ 49.

Unlike traditional races, in Wings For Life World Run it is the finish line that chases the athletes. The so-called “Catcher Car” starts 30 minutes after the competitors and gradually increases its speed, reaching each of the runners and eliminating them. The one who is the last to be overtaken wins. In Brazil, the virtual start takes place at 8 am.

This concept allows anyone to participate in the event, regardless of training level – the slowest are caught up sooner, while the great athletes are running for hours. Since 2014, when it was launched, the Wings for Life World Run has had more than 500,000 people from 193 nationalities in more than 66 countries on seven continents.

Race has already raised €38.3 million in donations, all invested in research

When the entity was created, in 2004, by Dietrich Mateschitz, founder of Redbull, and Heinz Kinigadner, a motocross racer, with family members with spinal cord injuries and a friend of Mateschitz, research on the subject, as well as funding, were few.

From 2014, with the emergence of Wings for Life World Run, the situation changed. Since then, a total of €38.3 million in donations have been raised, all invested in research. In last year’s edition alone, €4.7 million was raised, achieved through the participation of 161,892 runners from 192 countries. As Anita Gerhardter, CEO of Wings For Life says: “This race is something very special. Anyone can participate and all entry fees are donated to a good cause, The more money we raise, the more studies we can help fund, and the faster we can reach our overall goal.”

Wings for Life World Run App

The Wings for Life World Run App allows anyone, anywhere to participate. With the app, runners can participate in the race and be chased by the virtual Chasing Car. People can define their own route while individually participating in the Wings for Life World Run, or participate in some previously organized “App Run” in certain places, where people run together using the application.

About the Wings for Life Foundation

Around the world, millions of people depend on a wheelchair after suffering some type of spinal cord injury, usually related to car accidents or falls. Wings for Life is a non-profit foundation dedicated to spinal cord research, with the sole aim of finding a cure for it. Since 2004, Wings for Life has funded research, projects and clinical trials around the world. While a cure has not yet been found, 100% of the proceeds from Wings for Life World Run entries will support these researches. There are already 67 researches being financed in 15 countries.