Once again, the Wings for Life World Run is on the verge of breaking its own record for largest running event in the world, and you can make it happen by registering to participate on May 4, 2024. When you do, you’ll join likes of supporters worldwide such as Jürgen Klopp, Eileen Gu and Primož Roglič – all helping to find a cure for spinal cord injury.
Salzburg, Austria, 24/04/2025 – On Sunday May 4th, as the Wings for Life World Run takes off at locations across the globe, participants will be looking to break the run’s own record as the world’s largest and most inclusive running event. With only a few more registrations needed to pass the current record of 265,818 participants, you can be part of an achievement on May 4 that is especially momentous because 100% of entry fees go to promising spinal cord research.
About the run
The Wings for Life World Run has a unique format where people of all fitness levels succeed as they are chased by the beloved “Catcher Car” moving finish line. Participants worldwide start simultaneously and run either individually with the Wings for Life World Run App or together in one of several Flagship Runs until the Catcher Car passes them to complete their race.
Best of all, 100% of entry fees and donations goes directly to spinal cord research. In the editions of the Wings for Life World Run that have been completed to date, a total of 1,559,534 registered participants from 195 nationalities ran, walked and rolled on all seven continents and together raised a total of €51.93 million to find a cure for spinal cord injury. With the funds raised, the Wings for Life foundation has been able to fund 213 research projects so far, including clinical trials that have seen participants regain function in their hands and even begin to walk again.
In 2024 alone, the 265,818 participants that came together for the Wings for Life World Run reconfirmed its status as the largest running event in the world and covered a cumulative distance of 2,036,495 km. To put the achievement into perspective, that’s equivalent to over five trips to the moon; but the €8,100,000 that they raised is making the biggest impact, because it’s already at work in exciting research and clinical trials.
Michel Roccati, who has lived with paraplegia since an accident in 2017, has been able to take his first steps again through participation in a project supported by funds raised in the run. He says, “My life changed completely after being part of this clinical trial. To stand up and walk again means liberty – independence in several things in daily life. The Wings for Life World Run gives a lot of hope, and it’s also very fun to participate in.”
The global nature of the run includes App Run Events in over 400 locations, from rural settings to international hubs such as Nairobi, Kenya; Medellin, Colombia; Sydney, Australia; Tokyo, Japan; Mexico City, Mexico; Dubai, UAE; Honolulu, USA; London, UK; and Vancouver, Canada. Each offers its own unique course and amenities. At the App Run Event in Cape Town, South Africa, runners can be inspired by a stunning view of famed Table Mountain, while at Austria’s Red Bull Ring, they’ll run on the same track used for Formula 1 and MotoGP. Panama City, Panama, is one of several locations offering a seacoast run, while the most northerly App Run Event is in Tromsø, Norway, 350 km north of the Arctic Circle.
Although the Flagship Runs – Poznań (POL), Breda (NED), Munich (GER), Vienna (AUT), Zug (SUI), Ljubljana (SLO) and Zadar (CRO) – are selling out fast, a few spots are still available, and besides, there always the option to set your own dream course by running individually or with friends using the Wings for Life World Run App.
Run with sporting stars on May 4
Each year, the Wings for Life World Run draws stars from sports, as well as entertainment, who are eager to support the cause.
This year, Jürgen Klopp, the iconic football manager who is Red Bull’s Head of Global Soccer, is taking part for the first time and has even formed a team that anyone can join. “This is my first time participating in the Wings for Life World Run, and already I love it because it’s about people coming together to do something extraordinary. In this case, people are coming together from all over the world to help find a cure for spinal cord injury – it’s amazing!”
Eileen Gu, the Chinese sensation who has twice claimed Olympic gold in freeskiing, will also be running on Sunday, as will Slovenia’s Primož Roglič, the pro cyclist on the Red Bull – BORA – Hansgrohe team who has claimed multiple Tour de France stage wins.
Gu, who will be running in California, the US state where she was born, says, “In the Wings for Life World Run, every step you take reverberates far beyond the individual. Hundreds of thousands of runners all over the world working as one to advance spinal cord research – now that’s a movement.”
Just a few of the other standouts who will lacing up their trainers on May 4 are surfing’s Carissa Moore (USA), trials rider Fabio Wibmer (AUT), triathlete Lucy Charles-Barclay (GBR), American football quarterback Arch Manning (USA), gamer Masato Takahashi (JPN), rally racing’s Sébastien Loeb (FRA), tennis players Dominic Thiem (AUT), Elena Rybakina (KAZ) and Stan Wawrinka (SUI), cycling’s Tom Pidcock (GBR), basketball player Pascal Siakam (CMR), hurdler Karsten Warholm (NOR), skateboarder Ryan Sheckler (USA), father and son windsurfing athletes Björn Dunkerbeck (DEN) and Liam Dunkerbeck (ESP) and paddler Jessica Fox (AUS).
The cycling star Roglič comments, “They say cyclists don’t run – but I love to run. This time, it’s about more than just the run. Join us at the Wings for Life World Run, where we’ll be running for a good cause. Sign up for our team, be part of something bigger, and let’s make a real difference together.”
How to follow the run
It’s easy to follow friends and family who are running for those who can’t by going to the Wings for Life World Run Live Experience 2025 at www.wingsforlifeworldrun.com. Track them, cheer them with audio stickers, spot them in live video feeds and feel part of the event through interviews and more.
How to register and take part
There’s still time to sign up, help Wings for Life World Runners set a new record and bring researchers even closer to finding a cure for spinal cord injury.
The Wings for Life World Run takes off simultaneously around the world on Sunday, May 4, 2025, and registration will remain open until one hour before the start time of 11:00 am UTC. For more information on the run, and to register, visit www.wingsforlifeworldrun.com.
ADDITIONAL QUOTES
Colin Jackson (GBR), Wings for Life World Run Global Sports Director and record-setting former hurdler: “You know, as I’ve watched the whole run develop as a movement – a real global movement, a global community – it excites me still. Every single year, I feel proud to be a part of this. And I just love to see it grow.”
Jan Schwab, MD, PhD, Scientific Director of the Wings for Life foundation: “I very much look forward to the Wings for Life World Run 2025 – participation is always something special for me. It’s big fun [and] it’s also great to see all the runners around the globe participating. Again this year we will break a new record of runners, which will then allow us to find even more diverse projects in spinal cord injury research. Your support allows us to fund groundbreaking, front-runner research across the globe. Every step is hope, and we couldn’t do this without you. Thank you.”
Nick Fellows, Wings for Life World Run broadcast commentator: “The Wings for Life World Run is about running at your own pace, speed, time – talking, walking, whatever you want to do. It is not about winning a race; it’s about running for those who can’t. And it’s about finding the cure for spinal cord injury.”
Aron Anderson (SWE), three-time Wings for Life World Run Men’s Global Champion, who uses a wheelchair due to spinal cord injury: “With the Wings for Life World Run and the Wings for Life foundation, the obvious dream is that we’re going to find a cure for spinal cord injuries. And for me personally, the dream is that one day I would be able to run this race. How amazing would that be?”
About the Wings for Life Spinal Cord Research Foundation
Worldwide, millions of people are dependent on a wheelchair after having sustained a spinal cord injury, most often as the result of a traffic accident or a fall. Wings for Life is a not-for-profit spinal cord research foundation with the single mission to find a cure for spinal cord injury. Since 2004, Wings for Life has funded life-changing research projects and clinical trials around the globe. While a cure is still to be found, steady progress has been made. Every step taken at the Wings for Life World Run is a step in the right direction because 100% of entry fees and donations goes to spinal cord injury research: www.wingsforlife.com.
About the Wings for Life World Run
Once a year, the Wings for Life World Run takes place around the globe. All participants start at the same time worldwide and run either individually with the Wings for Life World Run App or together in several Flagship Runs. The best part is that any form of the run is all about being there. It doesn’t matter how well, fast or far you run, whether you’re a professional athlete, hobby runner or an absolute beginner. It is all about having fun while running. For this reason, there is no traditional finish line. Instead, 30 minutes after the start, either a virtual or – in the case of the Flagship Runs – a real Catcher Car picks up the chase and overtakes one runner after another. Results aren’t measured in time but in distance achieved. Best of all: 100% of entry fees and donations go directly to spinal cord research. In the editions of the Wings for Life World Run that have been completed to date, a total of 1,559,534 registered participants from 195 nationalities ran, walked and rolled on all seven continents and together raised a total of €51.93 million to find a cure for spinal cord injury.
AVAILABLE CONTENT
– News Cut & more Assets (Videos / Photos / Press Release)
–> via WINGS FOR LIFE WORLD RUN NEWSROOM (free content for editorial use – no restrictions)
Contact: Fabian Ress
fabian.ress@3mpg.ch / +49 173 248 8404
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