On Sunday 4 May, Wings for Life World Run will host a series of events across the UK, including in Leeds, London, Nottingham and Liverpool, to raise money for spinal cord injury research.
Wings for Life World Run is a unique global race available for both runners and wheelchair participants in which participants run away from a moving, virtual finish line in the app. Instead of a set finish line, competitors across the world all start at the same time and race to keep ahead of a moving finish line called the Virtual Catcher Car which tracks your progress in the Wings For Life World Run app.
The Catcher Car takes off 30 minutes after the synchronised start and steadily increases its speed, gradually overtaking participants to signify the end of their race with the last remaining male and female runners being crowned the winners.
Launched in 2014, Wings for Life World Run is the world’s largest running event, with 265,818 participants around the world simultaneously taking part via the app run in 2024. The virtual Catcher Car format means runners can take part wherever they are in the world and can run as far or as little as they want within the 30 minutes, whilst organised App Run events also allow participants to come together and run as part of a community.
This year’s race starts at 12pm in the UK, with organised App Run events taking place in Leeds, London, Nottingham and Liverpool where participants can enjoy a premium event experience, including music and refreshment stations with water refills, Red Bull, fruit and snacks.
In Nottingham, the App Run will start at the City Ground, home to Nottingham Forest F.C., heading along the bank of the River Trent before crossing the river at the Wilford Suspension Bridge and heading into The Meadows Recreation Ground, skirting the Nottingham War Memorial Gardens heading anti-clockwise on a 1.5 mile loop of the park and Victoria Embankment.
The London App Run will take place on a 2.5km route around the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, whilst in Leeds the App Run route will feature a 2.7km loop around the beautifully scenic Roundhay Lake in the north of the city.
This year’s Wings for Life World Run will also see smaller scale community-led app run events in Newcastle, Durham, Manchester, Loughborough, Cardiff, Birmingham, Bath, Cornwall, Durham, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
According to World Health Organization data, around 250,000 people a year suffering spinal cord injuries and 15 million living with the lasting effects. Wings For Life is aiming to find a cure for spinal cord injuries, with 100% of Wings for Life World Run entry fees being donated to spinal cord injury research projects, 324 of which the foundation has funded since 2004.
To find out how to register for Wings for Life World Run and how to join your local app run visit: https://www.wingsforlifeworldrun.com/en
