The event is global, taking place in 35 cities at the same time, all starting at the same time. Precisely at 11:00 UTC, Coordinated Universal Time. This means that participants in England run out at 12 o’clock, in Germany at 13, in Florida at 7, and so on. There is no finish line.
“We run out at 1 p.m. and half an hour later the virtual Catch Car starts, which gradually speeds up. People run away from him, when he catches up with them, it ends. In the application, you can see how it approaches you, it talks to you, encourages and threatens that it already has you,” Jakub Vobořil explained for the organizer shortly before the start. According to him, last year’s best participant managed 42 km before the Catcher Car caught up with him.
This year, the charity event was held for the eleventh time. “We started with twenty enthusiasts, today there are eight hundred of us,” says Vobořila. The entry fee is 15 euros, ten cents are calculated for each kilometer run. One hundred percent of all registration fees go to spinal cord injury research. “There is still no method to repair or treat spinal cord damage, it is still in the process,” stated the director of the Czech Association of Paraplegics, Alena Jančíková. According to her, there will be an average of 170 new people in the Czech Republic each year who will never walk again, either due to injury or illness.
Photo: Lucie Fialová, Law
This year too, people in wheelchairs stood at the starting line.
There were of course wheelchair users on the starting line this year, although according to Vobořil, they did not participate in the first years. “We’re not going to rush it, we’re going to enjoy a nice afternoon,” Jančíková replied to Novinká with a smile when asked if the event was preceded by training.
“We are employees of the Czech Association of Paraplegics, we work in Hvězdné bazaar in Urxová street, and it was such a collective decision,” said her colleague Ivana, who set herself the goal of covering five kilometers, about the participation. “But I’ll probably walk fast or run sometimes,” said the travel lover. “I’m going to let myself go, I don’t have a set goal, I’ll see how it goes,” added her partner Zuzana.
Photo: Lucie Fialová, Law
The race was held this year for the eleventh time.
“We put together a team, there were 42 of us, but in the end not all of us run, only about thirty,” reported Elisabeth and Valeria, runners from the student association that cooperates with the Wings for Life World Run organizer. “I don’t run, but that’s why I started,” said Valeria, who ideally wanted to run eight kilometers.
The successful snowboarder Eva Adamczyková was also present at the start. “I was on vacation for a month, there’s definitely a fake form,” she laughed. Her course record is 11 km. “I ran after shoulder surgery,” she added.
The Wings for Life World Run is a running race that has been held on the first weekend in May since 2014. Its purpose is to raise funds for spinal cord injury research. The run is organized by the Wings for Life Foundation, the founders of which are Austrian businessman, founder of Red Bull Dietrich Mateschitz and former Austrian motocross racer Heinz Kinigadner, whose son became paralyzed after an accident.
Tags: charity run Stromovka supported spinal cord injury research
