The 10th edition of the Wings for Life World Run, which raises funds to aid research in the race to find a cure for spinal cord injury, is scheduled for Sunday, May 7.

“It’s important to participate,” he says. “We’ve had some heavy accidents in the last year of close friends, including Nick Neynens who’s now in a wheelchair, so for all those guys we know it can happen to anyone of us. For me it’s very important to do my part. Plus it’s a super fun event with an amazing atmosphere and vibe. It’s so cool to gather for a good cause and try to make a difference.”
 
Tom says he’ll be running with the App at his base in the Azores while taking on some of the mountainous trails of his home-island. “There’s a lot of positive meters so I don’t think I’ll go far.”

Other athletes taking part include Aaron Durogati, who does Wings for Life every year – even though famously, he has an aversion to running in the Red Bull X-Alps due to past knee issues. Paul Guschlbauer has also done Wings for Life many times while Patrick von Känel says he's also supporting the event this year, even though he can't do it himself.

The run has a unique format featuring a moving finish line called the Catcher Car. You start at the same time as all the other participants – 11am UTC (1pm in Berlin, 8pm in Tokyo and 7am in New York) and then, 30 minutes later, a Catcher Car starts its pursuit – or virtually if you’re on the App. When it passes you, you've completed your race and the very last person to be caught is the global winner. 
 
The 2020 champion, British runner Michael Taylor, managed 69.92km, and in 2021 Sweden's Aron Anderson claimed the overall honour for the third time when he pushed his everyday wheelchair to 66.8km. To date, over a million participants from 195 countries have been caught up by the Catcher Car while it has raised €38.3 million. 
 
To take part, check out website or get the App.

Top image © Aaron Durogati, Red Bull Content Pool