by Antonella Pederiva
As Vice President of the Brussels EU Panathlon club, I take pride in participating in inclusive sports events wherever they emerge.
It is with this in mind that I am delighted to be joining my colleagues from Allwyn in the 2024 Wings for Life World Run as part of their global team on 5 May 2024. Below are the key details about the Wings for Life World Run format and mission.
What? The Wings for Life World Run is a truly unique and global running event, open to runners and wheelchair participants of all abilities. The format involves every single participant across the world starting the event at the exact same time, making it the world’s largest running event. To add to its uniqueness, the format also doesn’t feature a fixed finish line.
Instead, participants are chased by a Catcher Car that begins its chase thirty minutes after the start of the event, and that progressively speeds up over time – ensuring all participants are ultimately caught. At our flagship events, there will be a physical Catcher Car chasing the participants, whilst for most, the Catcher Car will be virtual, chasing you via the app required to participate remotely.
Where you run is up to you. There are several Flagship Runs, such as Rome, at Foro Italico - in Italy, Breda in the Netherlands, Zug in Switzerland, Munich in Germany, Ljubljana in Slovenia, and Zadar in Croatia. I personally will be taking part in Syracuse, Sicily, virtually alongside my Allwyn colleagues around the world. Your race comes to an end when you are finally caught by the Catcher Car, whether that is 3km, 10km, 20km, or more!
Why? Beyond the uniqueness of this global running event, there is a core purpose. In the Wings for Life World Run, participants run for those who can't: people affected by spinal cord injury. 100% of all entry fees and donations go the Wings for Life foundation, a not-for-profit foundation with a mission find a cure for spinal cord injury.
Wings for Life has provided funding to 299 research projects in 20 countries. Wings for Life believes that a cure for spinal cord injury is not only in the realm of possibility, but also not too distant. The funds generated through the Wings for Life World Run help contribute towards this mission, with over € 43.8 million having been raised since the event started in 2014.
The values of Wings for Life are aligned to the Panathlon values of integrity, ethics and inclusion, as a vehicle of solidarity between men and peoples.
I am incredibly proud to stand alongside my Allwyn colleagues as global partner to the Wings for Life World Run 2024. At Allwyn, our mission is to change lives, a little or a lot, but always for the better. Partnering with and participating in the Wings for Life World Run, in pursuit of a cure for spinal cord injury, does just that. And I am very happy to invite all Panathlon members to support the initiative.
When? The 2024 Wings for Life World Run will take place on 5th May 2024 at 1.00 pm CET.
Who? The Wings for Life World Run is open to runners and wheelchair participants, of any and all abilities. Participants can run as individuals or decide to join a team. There is even an option to create your own team amongst the thousands of already existing teams. We could even create the Panathlon team. Teams often reflect nationalities or companies, with one example being the 2023-2025 Wings for Life World Run official global partner, Allwyn, who last year helped make up the 8th biggest team globally.
Anyone is welcome to register to take part so long as they are aged 16 and over, except in the United States, Canada, and Croatia where the minimum age to participate is 18.
Just join us!!!!!!
