Over 4,000 Brits took part in the Wings for Life World Run, a unique global race which raised over £7.3m for spinal cord injury research. Running for those who can’t, participants joined virtually or at in-person App Run events held in London, Leeds, Nottingham and Liverpool as well as many other community-led events around the country.
At Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London, British runner Stefan Otway delivered a stunning performance, finishing in 14th place globally and covering 61.8 km in under four hours.
After the race, Stefan commented: “That was unbelievable. I struggled halfway through because the route was tough, but the support at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park kept me going. Honestly, coming 14th in the world is mind-blowing.
Wings for Life World Run is a great organisation for fundraising, but it’s also such a unique event. It really pushes you to the limit. It’s not like a marathon, it’s more exciting and out there. Having a Catcher Car following you, telling you it’s 100m away, is pretty cool. At the end, I was thinking, ‘Oh my god, I’ve got nothing left.”
In the women’s category, Molly Harris, who was running with course mates from the Royal Veterinary College, completed 37.7km raising money for a cause close to her heart.
Molly commented: “Last year, around Christmas time my father suffered a spinal cord stroke. Which I’d never heard about before, so it has definitely meant more to me this year. Wings For Life World Run is an incredible community event, so many people are out here with different abilities, backgrounds, it really brings a community together. It is such a different kind of run and a run where there is no pressure to it, it is your own race and that’s what I love about it”
However, the event isn’t just about elite performances. The unique format of the Wings for Life World Run, where participants are chased by a virtual Catcher Car acting as a moving finish line, meant that thousands around the world ran farther than ever before.
Among this year’s participants was Red Bull’s new Head of Global Soccer, Jürgen Klopp, who completed 5.6 km. Klopp commented: “I learnt today that age is a killer and if you don’t do sports through your life and start again late like I did, then some parts of your body might show you the middle finger and today that was my knee. Today it gave me 30 something minutes before I had to walk back but what an experience. Next year I will train and next year I will go long”
Wings for Life World Run ambassador Ben Tansley, who was paralysed in a motorbike accident, and para-athlete and TV presenter Milly Pickles were at the start line in London this year.
Commenting on the importance of raising funds for spinal cord research, Milly said: ‘I’m good friends with Ben [Tansley], and having seen his journey, I know first-hand how more funding for spinal cord research can change lives. It’s a no-brainer to get involved. You can run as much or as little as you want. It’s about having fun and enjoying the day, and the more money we raise, the better
According to World Health Organization data, around 250,000 people suffer spinal cord injuries each year, and 15 million live with their lasting effects. Wings for Life aims to find a cure, with 100% of Wings for Life World Run entry fees donated to spinal cord injury research. Since 2004, the foundation has funded 324 research projects.
