35 RACES. 6 CONTINENTS. 1 START. A MOVING FINISH LINE.
THE WINGS FOR LIFE WORLD RUN RETURNS
100% of registration fees dedicated to fund research to cure spinal cord injury
In a remarkable global race with 35 simultaneous starts and no set finish line, the world will run once again on May 3, 2015. In races across six continents, runners will attempt to stay ahead of pursuing ‘catcher cars’ driven to chase and overpass them. Produced by Red Bull in partnership with the Wings for Life Foundation, this innovative worldwide race with a “moving finish line” was first held in May 2014 to benefit spinal cord injury research – with the goal to find a cure – and more than $4.1 million was raised in its inaugural year.
The 2015 races will start in the early morning at three locations in North America: Santa Clarita, Calif. at 4 am PT; Sunrise, Fla. at 7 am ET; and Niagara Falls, Ontario at 7 am ET. Worldwide, there are six new tracks confirmed in Japan, Russia, United Arab Emirates, Denmark, Canada, and a second track in Germany in the world’s only global race with a synchronized starting line. For a complete list of locations, to register and to watch race highlights from year-one, go to www.wingsforlifeworldrun.com
This past May, more than 35,000 participants of all abilities ran at the very same time on six continents – in 34 locations – in 13 time zones. The average distance ran was 9.3 miles, making this accessible to more people than the traditional half-or-full marathon. Each and every participant set their own personal goals – whether it was two miles or 60 – and every runner was guaranteed to finish because the catcher car eventually overpasses everyone. Ambassadors who participated and were caught by the ‘Catcher Car’ in the inaugural World Run included Denver Broncos star DeMarcus Ware, Summer and Winter Olympian Lolo Jones, snowboarder Louie Vito and America’s Cup champion skipper Jimmy Spithill.
In the end, the global champions – the last male and female running – were Lemawork Ketema in Austria and Elise Molvik in Norway, who ran for 48.82 miles and 34.04 miles, respectively, before being overtaken by the ‘Catcher Car.’ In the United States, Santa Clarita, Calif., runner Calum Neff (36.36 miles) and Sunrise, Fla., runner Haley Chura (28.34 miles) were the last male and female running before being caught. The U.S. champions have chosen to run in Turkey and Norway in 2015, respectively, as they earned the choice to run in any race location in the world as their prize.
“My goal was to run 13 miles, but when the car hadn’t caught me yet at mile 23, I really wanted to win this,” said Haley Chura, U.S. female champion of the Wings for Life World Run. “I loved the ‘moving finish line’ concept, and I think it made for a very fun, but still very competitive atmosphere. It’s great to think that people who might usually be at the back of the pack actually finished first!”
Here are details of the Florida location confirmed for May 3, 2015, as part of the Wings for Life World Run: Sunrise, Fla. – This run will take place among palm tree-lined streets in the scenic South Florida community of Sunrise. Runners can expect moderate temperatures and flat terrain leading through suburban landscapes. The race will begin at 7 AM Eastern Time at the BB&T Center and wind through the beautiful City of Sunrise before making a northwesterly turn along U.S. 27, which leads runners into the Florida Everglades.
The Catcher Car
Starting more than 35,000 participants at exactly the same time – day or night – worldwide, is one challenge. But the Wings for Life World Run goes one step further and changes the face of racing altogether: 30 minutes after the runners take off, the ‘catcher car’ will begin to follow them. Driving slowly first, but increasing its speed gradually, the catcher car is the moving finish line. Equipped with electronic sensors, the catcher car will pass the runners, registering their digital chips on its way to the leaders. The last male and female to be caught worldwide are the global champions.
Running For Those Who Can’t
The Wings for Life World Run was introduced to support the not-for-profit Wings for Life foundation, which funds spinal cord research projects all over the world. 100% of the registration fees and sponsorship dollars from the World Run go directly to the Wings for Life Foundation to fund research to cure spinal cord injury. Millions of people around the world are living with a spinal cord injury. Every year, at least 250,000 more sustain a traumatic spinal cord injury, with the majority coming from traffic accidents, tragic falls and slips.
