The Wings For Life World Run 2021 is slated for May 9, 2021, through an app. This is according to the event organizers, and sponsors Red bull.
The Wings For Life World Run, which was founded in 2004, aims to build a global community in support of spinal cord research towards finding a cure for spinal injury.
“This run is a global event that’s a drive towards getting individuals and groups alike to donate their time and resources in solidarity to the cause. The final goal is to find the cure for spinal injury,” said Timothy Muzaliwa, a student representative supporting event awareness.
For about 17 years, the run has been held in different countries around the world. Traditionally, countries have been organizing runs as an event to build awareness of the program. The run happens in synchrony, meaning, different time zones align to take part in the race.
30 minutes into the run, a catcher car starts moving and increases its speed every kilometer until it catches up with the participants. The finish line is symbolically where the car catches up with participants.
For runners who are not part of the organized run, the option of participating through the app run goes a long way in making the engagement possible. The simulated run gives an experience as close as possible to the live event as the starting of the race with a trigger and updates throughout.
“We invite you to join us in the synchronized app run where you will run with people from around the world at the same time. 100 percent of the money raised goes towards spinal cord research. Also, we can run for fun as we run for those who can not,” added Limo Kipkemoi, an ultra-runner pursuing the last person standing title for the race.
Spinal injury in Kenya has been found to affect males in the most economically productive age group as a consequence of road traffic accidents thus road safety initiatives should be intensified to reduce the number of spinal injuries. Improvement in the emergency response infrastructure and development of clear and concise referral criteria for the lower level hospitals will ensure timely management of spinal injuries.