The Wings for Life World Run completed its 13th edition with record-breaking global participation and fundraising totals, generating €9.2 million for spinal cord injury research across 173 countries. A total of 346,527 participants representing 192 nationalities took part in the event, making it the largest edition in the history of the run.
The race began simultaneously worldwide at 11:00 UTC, uniting participants across seven flagship host cities, 648 App Run Events and the official Wings for Life World Run App. Runners, walkers and wheelchair participants took part in locations ranging from Vienna and Munich to Tokyo, Nairobi, Sydney and Mexico City. Nearly 60 per cent of participants joined organised events, reflecting the continued expansion of the run’s global community.
Unlike traditional races, the Wings for Life World Run uses a unique Catcher Car format in which the finish line pursues participants instead of runners heading toward a fixed finish. Thirty minutes after the global start, the Catcher Car began moving at 14 km/h before gradually increasing speed until all participants were caught, ensuring every entrant was officially recognised as a finisher regardless of distance covered.
The 2026 edition also produced new world records. Japan’s Jo Fukuda ran 78.95 km in Fukuoka to set a new men’s global benchmark, while Dutch athlete Mikky Keetels covered 62.24 km in Breda to establish a new women’s world record. Participants collectively logged more than 2.88 million kilometres worldwide.
Among those taking part were Yuki Tsunoda, alpine skiing champion Marco Odermatt and HYROX world champion Alexander Rončević, while Austrian participant Paula Attwenger became the oldest competitor in event history at 100 years old.
What distinguishes the event from most charity races is its financial model. One hundred per cent of all entry fees and donations are directed to the Wings for Life Foundation, with operational costs funded separately. Since its establishment in 2004, the foundation has supported 344 peer-reviewed research projects worldwide, including multiple therapies now progressing through human clinical trials.
Spinal cord injury remains one of the most underfunded areas in global medical research, despite up to 500,000 new cases being reported annually. By funding projects often overlooked by commercial pharmaceutical investment, Wings for Life aims to bridge the gap between laboratory discovery and real-world treatment development. The continued growth of the Wings for Life World Run reflects not only increasing global participation, but also rising momentum in the search for effective spinal cord injury therapies.
