Participants prepare for the Wings for Life World Run 2014 in Barcelona, Spain on October 6th, 2013 // Samo Vidic/Red Bull
Participants prepare for the Wings for Life World Run 2014 in Barcelona, Spain on October 6th, 2013 // Samo Vidic/Red Bull
Tens of thousands of runners around the world will set off on a history-making journey in a simultaneous global race for charity in 32 different countries this Sunday, May 4, for the first-ever Wings for Life World Run.
Hundreds of New Zealand runners will begin their part of the racefrom Auckland's Hampton Downs Raceway at 10pm NZT.
In California the event starts at 3am, in London the event starts at 11am, while competitors in Germany will set off at midday.
The top prize will be an extraordinary month-long trip around the world for the best male and female runners.
New Zealand has one of the highest rates of spinal cord injury in the western world, emphasising the local importance of the mission of this truly global event; to raise funds to find a cure for spinal cord injury.
Online registrations have now closed, but runners can register on-site at the event from 6pm.
This will be the last chance for anyone to be involved in the once-in-a-lifetime experience and compete against the world. Those wanting to spectate from home, can watch a global live feed on Sky Sport 2, from 9pm.
Although the run is open to participants 18 years or older of all levels, shapes, sizes and abilities there are several favourites to win the race.
Our current Coast to Coast champion and Red Bull endurance athlete Braden Currie will be leading the Auckland pack, and competing against the likes of Takahiro Sunada in Austria, a Japanese ultra-marathon runner who holds the world record for 100 kilometers (6:13:33.)
Other local ambassadors include rugby legend Dan Carter, Paralympic sailor and Christchurch hero Andrew May, America's Cup participant Dean Baker, Red Bull kayak expedition athlete Ben Brown, and media personalities Jay Reeve and Andrew Mulligan.
"Unfortunately rugby is one of the leading sporting contributors to spinal cord injury in New Zealand. Being a professional rugby player makes this charity close to home," says Carter.
"It would be so great to know for any New Zealander that has the unfortunate accident involving a spinal cord injury, that there is a possibility of a cure."
Participants run in front of the Wings for Life World Run Catcher Car in Oberwolz, Austria on March 13th, 2014 // Samo Vidic/Red Bull
The remarkable feature of the first global sporting event of its kind is that a moving finish line will be chasing the runners from behind, instead of the runners dashing towards a fixed finish line.
The run will start at precisely 10pm NZT and will end when the last male and female runner is caught by one of the 'Catcher Cars.'
All runners' results will be recorded by a timing tag hidden in each runner's Individual Race Number.
This tag is activated as they cross the start line and is deactivated when they are passed by a Catcher Car.
The last male and female runners will win an unforgettable highlight-filled journey that features stops in Salzburg, Istanbul, Cape Town, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Fiji, Los Angeles and Rio de Janeiro.
The New Zealand track will start at Hampton Downs Raceway, giving runners a unique opportunity to begin their journey on one of New Zealand's premium racetracks.
After completing a circuit, runners exit over State Highway 1 and head east towards the Firth of Thames.
Runners will veer left onto State Highway 25, before pointing north towards Miranda. The track continues up the coast, over the Hunua Ranges, before descending into Kawakawa Bay.
