265,818 runners from around the world helped boost record-breaking numbers for the world’s largest running event last year and 2025 is set to break another record. Wings for Life World Run (WFLWR) is taking place on May 4, 2025 at 9pm AEST, where thousands of runners from all over the world will start running at the exact same time to raise money and awareness for spinal cord injury research.
WFLWR is calling all runners and wheelchair users from around the nation to join the truly global event together with friends and families, no matter where you are. The unique and all-inclusive event offers participants the chance to run, walk or roll all by yourself, and at the same time form teams and connect across borders. All participants will be united via the Wings for Life World Run App and the unique Audio Experience, which will inform, entertain and motivate them along the way.
2025 is an exciting year for Australia with the welcoming of new venues across the country, giving more opportunity for runners to take part in-person or to run from anywhere.
Sam Bloom, Wings for Life World Run Ambassador said, “Wings for Life World Run is very important to me and very close to my heart. The best thing about it is that 100 per cent of the money raised goes straight to research. It is my hope that through these efforts they will find a cure for spinal cord injuries. Can you imagine, there’s millions of people around the world living with spinal cord injury and it breaks my heart when I see young people affected.”
With the App or at an organized running event, everything is possible
Participants can sign up to the App Run and run from anywhere or sign up to an organised App Run across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Newcastle, Brisbane and Adelaide.
WFLWR organised running event locations:
- Sydney, NSW: Randwick Racecourse Alison Road, Randwick NSW 2031
- Newcastle NSW: Fearnley Dawes Athletic Track
- Adelaide, SA: Netball SA Stadium 155 Railway Terrace, Mile End South SA 5031
- Melbourne, VIC: La Trobe Sports Stadium, Sports Drive, Sports Park LA Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086
- Perth, WA: Western Australian Marathon Club 1 Camfield Drive, Burswood WA 6100
- Brisbane, QLD: UQ Sport Athletics Centre, The University of Queensland, Sir William MacGregor Dr, St Lucia QLD 4067
Unique running format: Catcher Car as moving finish line
All runners and wheelchair users taking part in the Wings for Life World Run will start off on their run at exactly the same time, 9:00pm AEST, and run or roll as far as they can. There is no set finish line. Instead, 30 minutes after the starting signal, the Catcher Cars will start moving and gradually accelerate to overtake the participants one by one, either in real or virtual form. As soon as the Catcher Car has caught a runner, their personal race is finished. So the truly special thing about the Wings for Life World Run is that everyone is a finisher no matter how far they’ve run!
Inclusive approach: Everyone can take part in the Wings for Life World Run
The starting field at the global charity run is more diverse than at any other run, with participants from 195+ countries around the world. It features some of the world’s top athletes alongside novice runners, there are 18-year-olds and some participants who are well into their 80s, there are runners and there are wheelchair users: they are all out on the course together, regardless of their performance level, and in taking part they are all united in supporting spinal cord research. 100% of all entry fees and donations from the Wings for Life World Run go to carefully selected research projects and help find a cure for spinal cord injury.
Anyone who feels like running in one of the organised run locations on May 4, 2025 should register quickly to secure their start number, as these in person events have often sold out early in the past. Those who want to take part can now download the Wings for Life World Run App, register and train with the Virtual Catcher Car during a Preparation Run.
Each year globally there are more then 250,000 acute spinal cord injuries. with more than 50% occurring due to car accidents. In Australia there are approximately 20,800 Australians living with a spinal cord injury. Wings for Life World Run unites runners with spinal cord injury sufferers in a truly unique event.
Wings for Life World Run has raised 51,900,000 Euros (approximately $88,457,000 AUD) with 1,500,000 participants taking part from 195 countries and a total of 13,800,00 km run. The fundraising event raises money for spinal cord injury research and 100% of the entry fee goes directly to the research. Wings for Life is responsible for funding 324 Research Projects so far across 20 countries.
All information about the Wings for Life World Run and how to participate can be found at www.wingsforlifeworldrun.com.
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 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 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. www.wingsforlifeworldrun.co
keri.kitay@redbull.com
Red Bull
