It is one of the biggest ‘races’ in the world and the Red Bull Wings for Life World Run took place yesterday with 184,236 runners taking part together but apart around the world.
They came from a total of 151 countries around the world, united by the use of a common app that had a virtual finish line that gradually chased them down, in the same way as a finish car would in a normal running of the event.
The winner of the Men’s event was Aron Anderson from Sweden who ran 66.8 kilometres before he was the last man to be caught. Nina Zarine from Russia took the Women’s race recording 60.2 kilometres.
Everybody started at the same time around the world, running their own personal locations with Red Bull athlete Thomas Barr taking part at the University of Limerick, and Red Bull F1 drivers Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez pictured in their T-Shirts at the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona.
The ‘virtual finish line started 30 minutes after the race start time and the average distance covered by all the runners combined was 12.3 kilometres.
Ireland made it into the global wrap up of the race, perhaps somewhat stereotypically as part of the weather round-up with conditions here, and in Spain, highlighted as being cold rain.
The purpose of the run which has now taken place for six years is to raise funds for Spinal Cord injury research. 100 per cent of entry fees and additional sponsorship goes to the cause with ¢33.3 million raised so far. 837 Wheelchair athletes took part around the world this year.
The real importance is the number of those who might be able to leave the chair behind as a result of the money raised in years to come.
The 2022 Wings for Life World Run has already been marked down in diaries as taking place next May 8th. We cannot forecast yet to what extent it will once more be a truly communal run or whether there will continue to be a hybrid event allowing people to take part on their own as well as in a group.
Red Bull Ireland and Athletics Ireland are among more than 250+ members of the Sport for Business network of sporting and business organisations working together across a number of key areas.
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