Run with the Rest of the World for a Good Cause!
Jeddah- The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and several other countries are marking their calendars for Sunday, May 7, for the Wings for Life global race, which returns in its unique and fun format, under the umbrella of the humanitarian cause for which it was created: to fund research that aims to find a cure for spinal cord injuries.
The Jeddah Corniche Circuit will host the Saudi leg of the race, which will kick off at 2 pm, Kingdom time, and will be held in parallel with major cities across 195 countries. More than 280,000 people will be participating, making it the largest event of its kind in the world. Held in partnership with Red Bull Mobile, the Saudi Motorsports Company, and the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, the idea of the race is based on simple but distinct rules: it allows all participants, whether runners or wheelchair users, to race alongside each other, anywhere around the world!
The format of the race is also easy enough: each participant will have to run, walk, or roll as long as possible until a Catcher Car gets to them; in the absence of a physical finish line, event-specific pursuit cars will drive off thirty minutes after the start signal and begin to overtake the participants one after the other, whether on ground or in virtual reality. For those the Catcher Car reaches, the race is over. What’s great here is that everyone, without exception, reaches the finish line, and the start is the most diverse among all races out there in terms of participants.
The greatest feature that sets apart the Wings for Life race is that it is a global charity event, which means that participants will not be running for themselves, but for a humanitarian cause, with 100% of the entry fees going towards spinal cord research and helping find a cure for spinal cord injuries.
How to participate
To participate in this year’s edition of the Wings for Life global race, simply head to the Google Play or Apple Store and download the new application developed specifically for the event, or visit https://www.wingsforlifeworldrun.com/en/locations/jeddah and create an account. In order to register through the app, click on “Connect”, search for “Jeddah”, and click on “Register”.
Once you do, you can start practicing for the run individually or with family and friends. What’s exciting about the app is the special audio experience that comes along with it: you’ll be listening to information, entertainment, and motivation during your run, all for you to keep going.
A historical overview
When Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz and two-time motocross world champion Heinz Kinigadner created the Wings for Life foundation in 2004, there were few projects that focused on basic research, and the worst part was that funding was scarce. But soon, all that changed when the Wings for Life race saw the light for the first time in 2014. That’s why this year we celebrate a special anniversary, as on May 7, the tenth edition of the race will take place, which is set to be the best one yet, with participants running for those who can’t.
A roaring record
The Wings for Life global race witnessed remarkable numbers throughout the years: US-resident Nina Zarina holds 4 titles from participating in the 9 editions of the race, while Sweden’s Aron Anderson made it to the list of winners 3 times in his wheelchair, leaving all other runners behind.
Apart from even those heroic feats, this one-of-a-kind race has an unparalleled success story: to date, more than 38 million euros in donations have been fully invested in spinal cord injury research. The 2022 edition alone succeeded in raising 4.7 million euros in donations, all thanks to 161,892 participants from across the globe 192 countries.
Facts and figures
More than a million people have participated in a total of nine editions of the Wings for Life global race. The main goal now is to have 1 million racers participate in one event.
119 billion steps have been taken by runners who have raced to date.
38.3 million euros in donations have been raised since the race’s inception and 100% of the money was received by the Wings for Life foundation and subsequently used for research aimed at finding a cure for spinal cord injuries.
35,397 participants stood at the starting line for the first-ever Wings for Life global race in 2014. And after taking place for its ninth time, the race saw a massive turnout of 161,892 participants from 192 countries.
Register now and run for those who can’t by downloading the Wings for Life global race app from the Apple or Google Play Store.
For more information, please visit: https://www.wingsforlifeworldrun.com/en?viewerCountry=SA
