On May 8, 2022, the starting gun will be fired for what is already the 9th edition of the Wings for Life World Run.
Being able to run means freedom, independence and health! But unfortunately it is not a given! On May 8, we will run for all those who cannot do it themselves. We at running.COACH support the initiative of the Wings For Life World Run. The total amount of all entry fees will flow into research projects via the Wings for Life Foundation. These have one goal: one day paraplegia must be curable.
The run, with its unique format, is a perfect opportunity to participate – regardless of location: You can run, walk or roll alone, form teams at the same time and connect with each other across borders.
2021 in Review
More than 180,000 runners and wheelchair users from 195 nations participated in the Wings for Life World Run 2021, making it the largest running event in history. Due to the pandemic situation, participants ran separately using the Wings for Life World Run
World Run app as a running companion and were chased by the Virtual Catcher Car.
May 8, 2022
Also in 2022, the participants can run with the app at home. In addition, there is the possibility to participate in an Organized App Run with a fixed route or to participate in one of the 7 big Flagship Runs with a real Catcher Car on site!
The Flagship Runs will take place in:
- Zug, Switzerland
- Munich, Germany
- Vienna, Austria
- Ljubliana, Slovenia
- Zadar, Croatia
- Poznan, Poland
- Izmir, Turkey
Anyone interested in joining the run on May 8, 2022 at one of the 7 Flagship Run locations should register quickly. In the past, the organized events were often sold out early due to limited capacity.
Unique run format: Catcher Car as mobile finish line
All runners and wheelchair users participating in the Wings for Life World Run start at exactly the same time at 1 p.m. CET and run or roll as far as they can. There is no fixed finish line.
Instead, 30 minutes after the starting signal, the catcher cars start moving and gradually accelerate to overtake the participants one by one, either in real or virtual form. Once you are caught up by the catcher car, your personal race is over. So the really special thing about the Wings for Life World Run is that everyone is a finisher, no matter how far he or she has run.
Well-known names like Lindsey Vonn, Daniela Ryf, Marc Odermatt, Florian Neuschwander, and Judith Wyder (to name a few) are already planning their participation and encouraging the world to join them on the starting line.
Everyone can join the Wings for Life World Run
The starting field for the global charity run is more diverse than any other race, with participants from 195 nations. There are some of the world’s best athletes as well as novice runners, there are runners who are 18 years old and some who are well over 80 years old. There are runners and wheelchair users. They are all on the course together, regardless of their ability level, and in doing so, they are all united to support spinal cord research. 100 percent of all entry fees and donations from the Wings for Life World Run go to carefully selected research projects and help find a cure for spinal cord injuries.
“The beauty of the Wings for Life World Run is that absolutely anyone can participate and be part of something really big,” says Anita Gerhardter, executive director of the nonprofit Wings for Life Foundation. “Last year it was enormous already – unbelievable given the circumstances. This year, we hope to be even bigger. All of the proceeds will go to work in a lab or a clinic. We’ve seen amazing results in recent years, so we look to the future with high hopes.”
For all information on the Wings for Life World Run and to participate, visit: www.wingsforlifeworldrun.com
Run far away from the Catcher Car!
It’s only a matter of time before the Catcher Car catches up with you! But the question is how long you can outrun it! With the training plan of running.COACH you can go one step further! The training of running.COACH gives you the extra boost!
We support the Wings For Life World in communication and support all who participate in the event with a free training plan of 30 days.
How do I benefit:
1.) Register for the Wings For Life World Run 2022
2.) If you don’t have a running.COACH account yet, register for free here running.COACH
3.) Send us and email to info@runningcoach.me with the subject “WFLFR” and your registered email address. We will extend your running.COACH subscription.
In a next blog post we will give you some helpful tips on how to schedule your personal World Run! This way you will definitely run miles ahead of the Catcher Car!
If you feel like participating in a run with an app before the Wings For Life Run and doing some good, take a look at viRACE. At the moment there is for example the Run For Ukraine by Unicef or the Run Forest Run – both charity events.
Happy Running! Your running.COACH Team!
