The Wings for Life World Run raised a record €9.2m for spinal cord injury research, the event organisers said.
The 13th edition of the global fundraising event took place on Sunday, with 346,527 participants across 173 countries.
Runners, walkers and wheelchair users from 192 nationalities took part through seven flagship runs, 648 app run events and the Wings for Life World Run app.
“Everything raised goes directly to the cause, nothing is wasted,” said Christian Göritz, PhD, principal investigator at Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, and a Wings for Life-funded researcher.
“As a researcher working on spinal cord injury every day, to see this level of support is incredibly powerful.
“Spinal cord injury cannot be solved alone — what makes this event so special is that everyone can take part, no matter their level, and every contribution truly counts.”
The event began simultaneously at 11:00 UTC. It used a Catcher Car format, with a moving finish line that starts 30 minutes after the race begins.
The foundation, based in Salzburg, Austria, says it has funded 344 peer-reviewed research projects worldwide since it was founded in 2004.
It currently supports 72 active projects across 15 countries, with funding decisions informed by a scientific advisory board and 737 expert reviewers involved to date.
Japan’s Jo Fukuda set a new men’s world record at the event, covering 78.95 km in Fukuoka, Japan.
Mikky Keetels, of the Netherlands, set a new women’s world record with 62.24 km in Breda, Netherlands.
Participants covered a combined 2,889,278.26 km worldwide.
Spinal cord injury remains one of the most underfunded areas of medical research, organisers said, despite estimates suggesting up to 500,000 new cases globally each year.
Image: PRNewsfoto/Red Bull
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