ROAD RUNNING
Q : What does becoming an ambassador for the Wings for Life World Run mean to you ?
MD : It means a tremendous amount to me . I think it ’ s such an outstanding initiative , such an inspiring event , and being able to participate in it in the past few years has been incredible . I think it brings people together in such a great way , and I think this coming year will be no exception . Now , being able to have a slightly bigger role for such an important cause is really fulfilling .
Q : How do you feel about people from around the world uniting for the same cause , running together worldwide “ for those who can ’ t ,” and what motivates you to take part in this run ?
MD : The run is such an impactful and meaningful event , and I think that the whole concept of running for those who can ’ t and supporting spinal cord research is crucial . It ’ s something that doesn ’ t always get enough attention , so this event raises awareness for a very important cause . That ’ s what makes Wings for Life and this World Run a lot different from anything I ’ ve ever been a part of , and it encourages me and excites me to be involved more , in a bigger capacity . It ’ s a beautiful event .
Q : In your view , what role do athletes play in advocating for causes like the Wings for Life World Run , and how can they inspire others to join the cause ?
MD : The event is so beautifully diverse ; you see all walks of life , you see the best athletes at the very top of their sport
Start of the Organised App Run in Pretoria in 2024
participating , and you see people with regular jobs taking part . We ’ re all there participating , competing , and enjoying this wonderful sense of community for the same cause . We ’ re all running for something much bigger than ourselves , and that ’ s what makes it so powerful .
Q : What would you say to someone hesitant to join the Wings for Life World Run ? How can they overcome doubts and get involved ?
MD : For anybody that ’ s on the fence about it , I really can ’ t encourage you enough to give it a try . Once you experience the sense of community , the energy , and just how incredible this cause and the event are , you ’ ll be hooked , and you ’ ll want to do it every single year . So , I strongly encourage everybody to sign up for next year ’ s Wings for Life World Run on 4 May . I promise you , it ’ s going to be amazing .
Sign Up , South Africa !
The 12th edition of the Wings for Life World Run will take place on 4 May 2025 , and participants worldwide will once again set off at precisely 11:00 am UTC , either at one of the seven Flagship Run cities , including Vienna , Munich , and Ljubljana , or through the organised Wings for Life World Runs in iconic destinations such as New York , Hong Kong , Dubai , Melbourne , and Vancouver .
There will be two Organised App Runs in South Africa , in Cape Town ( Western Cape ) and Irene ( Gauteng ), but participants can also participate anywhere in the country ( or world ). The start time of 11am UTC ( Coordinated Universal Time ) is actually very convenient for South African participants , as that is 1pm in South Africa , whereas New Zealand participants start at 11pm , for example , while Canadian athletes set off at 4am .
Registration for the 2025 event opened on 6 November , and those who register by 31 December will enjoy a bonus , free six-month Premium membership to the Adidas Running app , which includes a specialised training plan tailored for the Wings for Life World Run . For more information on Wings for Life and to register for the Wings for Life World Run , visit www . wingsforlifeworldrun . com . ( This article was adapted from a press release by the Red Bull Media House .)
On South African Wings
The 2024 edition of the Wings For Life World Run saw 265,818 participants around the world lace up their shoes and accept the challenge to run as far as possible before being caught by the Catcher Car . Best of the best proved to be men ’ s winner Tomoya Watanabe of Japan , who set a new record for the event by reaching 70.09km , while Poland ’ s Dominika Stelmach , a regular visitor to race in South Africa in recent years , achieved 55.02km to claim the women ’ s title for the second time .
In South Africa , Lauren Quinn won the women ’ s race , covering 32.6km in the Organised App Run in Pretoria . “ Wings for Life is a great cause – it makes you appreciate the fact that you can get up every morning and run . Doing it for such a great cause is a fantastic reason to carry on running , and it just makes you grateful that you can put one foot in front of the other ,” she said .
The men ’ s race in SA was won by Andrew Geyser , who ran 45.68km in the Organised App Run in Cape Town . “ The run formed part of a one-week challenge where I wanted to run two sub-three marathons back to back ,” he said . “ I ran the Durban International Marathon in two hours and 47 minutes , and the following weekend , at Wings For Life , my time at the 42-kilometre mark was two hours and 55 minutes , so I achieved my goal there , which was awesome .”
This was the fourth time that the 24-year-old Geyser took part in Wings For Life World Run , and he added , “ It ’ s an amazing initiative to run for those who can ’ t . I truly believe that running is a gift , and everyone who can either go for a walk or run outside shouldn ’ t take that for granted , and should make the most of it . I ’ m just super grateful for all the support that everyone gave me , and it was a really fun event , so I ’ ll be back next year !”
SA 2024 women ’ s winner Lauren Quinn
SA 2024 men ’ s winner Andrew Geyser
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