120,000 registered runners and wheelchair participants covered 1,103,276 km in 323 locations across 72 countries for charity at the sixth Wings for Life World Run
India, 7th May 2019: 120,000 registered runners and wheelchair participants covered 1,103,276 km in 323 locations across 72 countries on Sunday, 5th May 2019 in the sixth annual Wings for Life World Run charity event to raise funds for spinal cord injury research. Four hours of camaraderie and competition shared across every continent produced unforgettable moments of elation and emotion until the Russians Ivan Motorin (Izmir, Turkey) and his compatriot Nina Zarina (Zug, Switzerland) claimed the men’s and women’s Global Championships with 64.37 km and 53.72 km respectively.
The run’s simultaneous start at 11:00 am UTC saw exuberant participants of over 186 nationalities racing away from the Catcher Car, and results poured in from global locations spanning Australia to Colombia and South Africa to Kazakhstan. Anyone can join the Wings for Life World Run, participating at event locations with real Catcher Cars, or using the Wings for Life World Run App – whether at one of the hundreds of Organized App Runs or individually. The contrast in weather conditions was striking, with a surprising snowfall in Italy and temperatures nearing 35 degrees C in Mumbai, India.
Everyone can take part in the Wings for Life World Run regardless of fitness level, and the 2019 edition of the run for those who can’t be brought all-time event totals to more than half a million registered participants. With more than 700 participants running the app runs across 13 cities – Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Chandigarh, Guwahati, Goa, Ahmedabad, Pune, Bangalore, Chennai, Cochin and Hyderabad, India raised INR 6.9 lakhs for the spinal cord injury cure research.
At the organized app run in Hyderabad, the participants beat the challenges of the Hyderabad heat ran at Osmania University, Hyderabad until the virtual Catcher Car caught them. Starting at a steady speed of 15 km/h and a headstart of 30 minutes, the Car Catcher picks up pace until the last athlete is caught. The race began exactly at 4:30 pm local time. Chirag Kapoor and Annika Pillai clocked 8.14 kms and 3.15 kms respectively to emerge as male and female winners at the organized app run in Hyderabad yesterday.
One hundred percent of entry fees and donations raised by the run goes to projects supported by the Wings for Life Foundation, which funds the most promising spinal cord injury research to find a cure. The 2019 edition of the Wings for Life World Run has raised over 3.5 million euros so far, with more still coming in. The Wings for Life World Run has one goal: to find a cure for spinal cord injury. One hundred percent of entry fees and donations go directly to the nonprofit Wings for Life Foundation, for life-changing spinal cord research.
In 2018 with more than 370 participants running the app runs across 11 cities – Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Chandigarh, Guwahati, Goa, Ahmedabad, Pune, Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad, India raised 6600 Euros (more than 5.28 lakhs) for the spinal cord injury cure research. It’s a great way to share motivation and the spirit of the run.
