A global charity event, ‘Wings for Life World Run’, is poised to help fund research into curing spinal cord injury. The run is scheduled to take place simultaneously on May 4 in 35 countries, including Portugal.
The groundbreaking race format means that for one day at the same time runners from all over the world will compete in solidarity to raise money, with 100% of the proceeds going to the Wings for Life Foundation.
In Portugal, the race will start at Comporta beach, on the Tróia Peninsula. Portuguese racing driver António Félix da Costa is sponsoring the event, with ‘ambassadors’ such as Rúben Faria, Hélder Rodrigues, Tiago Pires, Naide Gomes, Telma Monteiro and Salvador Mendes de Almeida, amongst others, helping to promote the race.
The ‘Wings for Life World Run’ will be held in Barcelona (Spain), Kerry (Ireland), Verona (Italy), Florida (USA), Cancun (Mexico), Cape Town (South Africa), Florianópolis (Brazil), Auckland (New Zealand) and Haryana (India), with athletes starting exactly at the same time according to time zones. In Portugal, the race will start at 11am.
Essentially an endurance race with pre-defined routes but with no set distance, the Portugal route from Comporta will take runners to Melides, past Santo André towards Sines and then onwards to Porto Covo and Vila Nova de Milfontes. There is no physical winning post. Instead, say the foundation’s organisers, the appeal lies in the “environmental context, the diversity of the landscapes and the chance to visit new places while running”.
Those interested in taking part can find more information at www.wingsforlifeworldrun.com. Participation costs €25 and the closing date for registrations is April 20. However, if paying by bank transfer, runners need to complete their registration by April 4. If they register before February 23 each entrant will have their name printed on their race number.
Each location will have both a male and female champion, who will receive an invitation to race wherever they like in the next Wings for Life World Run.
Photo: Cacalos Garrastazu / Red Bull Content Pool
