STORY

164 Nations, 34 Starting Lines – The World’s Most Amazing Race

The world will run in harmony on May 4 when runners from 164 nations will be united on 

34 different tracks in 32 countries for a single good cause – running for those who can’t. The 

starting gun sounds in just 6 days for the Wings for Life World Run — the most spectacular 

race ever staged. Tens of thousands of people will take part in the race on Sunday to

 raise funds for research into spinal cord injury that will play out simultaneously on 

6 continents, in 14 time zones and in all four seasons.

Hobby joggers, celebrities, marathon runners, triathletes and ultra-marathon runners will set 

off at precisely the same time (10 am UTC) towards the same end goal – staying in front of 

the Catcher Cars as long as possible. Some will be running towards the sunrise, some 

will be running into the sunset. Some will be running at night and some starting at noon. 

Runners starting in Sonipat, Haryana in India will feel searing afternoon heat of 40 degrees 

while runners setting off in Saskatoon, Canada – a distance runner’s paradise in northern 

Canada known as the “land of the living skies” — will feel the bitter pre-dawn chill of 

between 2 and 10 degrees.

“It’s a race organized to help other people – and no one should miss it,” said Giorgio Calcaterra, 

a three-time world champion ultra marathon runner. The Italian is a top favorite and will be 

racing in the breathtaking scenery around Verona, Italy. Another top contender is Takahiro 

Sunada of Japan, an ultramarathoner who holds the world record for 100 kilometers (6:13.33). 

He will be starting in St. Poelten, Austria and running along the Donau River Valley.

The epic endurance event will take runners along some of the world’s most scenic routes. 

Runners on the West coast of the United States, setting out in Santa Clarita, California, 

will be starting at 3 a.m. local time. The race in Cape Town, South Africa will showcase the iconic Winelands on a route through the idyllic Franschhoek Valley and begins at noon – the same time as in Austria and Barcelona, Spain. Runners in autumnal South 

America will be starting before dawn or early in the morning and running towards midday 

while runners in Busselton, Australia will set off just after sunset.

The runners will be chasing a dream that one day spinal cord injury can be made a 

thing of the past. The aim of the race is to raise funds for spinal cord research. “Running for those who 

can’t” is the slogan behind the most incredible sports happening ever that will link runners 

of all abilities with state-of-the-art equipment.

There will be no fixed finish line. Instead, a moving finish line will be chasing the runners 

from behind. Catcher Cars will start 30 minutes behind the runners and move at the exact 

same pace to gradually catch the fields of runners. When the Catcher Car passes a runner, 

his or her race is over. The last man and last women standing will be crowned the winners 

and will win the grand prize of an extraordinary month-long journey around the world.

Red Bull Racing’s four-time Formula One World Champion Sebastian Vettel of Germany is 

one of the Wings of Life World Run ambassadors and supports the race as does Alpine 

skiing champion Lindsey Vonn (USA). Among the world’s best athletes who will take 

part are former Formula One racers Mark Webber (Australia) and David Coulthard 

(Great Britain), Aksel Lund Svidal (Norway), rugby legend Dan Carter (New Zealand), 

windsurfing hero Robbie Naish (USA) and actor-model Wang Li Ya in Taiwan.

(Editor’s note: This is a fun one from Red Bull. They do come up with interesting events 

and wrinkles on competition. Simultaneous events have been done before, but, not with this 

approach. Would love to see Red Bull put on an elite track meet! Consider Relays with 

mixed teams, and mixed sports, and taking on best teams in world as well. Could be fun.)