Photo credit: Wings for Life World Run
Hi, welcome back to the Mosin Salya blog.
There are some awesome marathons around the world, and if you’ve not ran one in another country then I highly recommend it. In this series I’ll be focusing on marathons from around the world to give you an idea of what to expect if you’re considering trying out a new one.
Today, I’m sharing with you the Wings for Life World Run, and more specifically the Dubai version.
The Wings for Life World Run started out as a simple idea – what if you could get the whole world running on the same day at the same time? And that has been one of the unique selling points of this marathon which is held all over the world.
The other unique selling point of this marathon series is that it is 100% for charity. Wings for Life’s mission is to make spinal cord injury curable, and after two years of planning, CEO Anita Gerhardter was successful in making the marathon series a reality.
However, there’s also a twist. Equipped with sensors, The Catcher Cars are vehicles that will literally catch the runners not running towards a finish line, but away from the finish line that chased them. These cars are usually driven by some very recognisable faces, previously including Formula One driver David Coulthard, Paris-Dakar champion Marc Coma and Stratos jumper Felix Baumgartner.
The marathons are open to absolutely everyone – from fun runners, ultrarunners, global contenders and wheelchair users. The race starts at 11am UTC in all countries worldwide, making this a truly unique marathon.
For three years now the Wings for Life Word Run has been held in the second largest emirate, Dubai. Symbolic for its skyscrapers and high-rise buildings, Dubai houses the world’s tallest building – the Buri Khalifa.
Runners of the Wings for Life World Run Dubai will brave the 45 degree heat to run for those who can’t. The marathon is whatever you want it to be – a fun 5k race, a 10k race, a marathon race or whatever distance suits you!
The race starts in Dubai at 3:00pm local time on May 7 2017. 30 minutes after the start, the Catcher Cars will set off, chasing runners until the last female and male are caught. Registration costs 195.00 AED, and 100% of all the registration fees to straight to Wings for Life-funded spinal cord injury research projects.
More information about where to find the Wings for Life World Run of your choice can be found here.
Until next time,
Mohsin Salya