On Sunday, for the 12th time, the world came together to run for those who can’t, as nearly a third of a million runners, wheelchair users and professional athletes around the globe participated in the Wings for Life World Run.
May 04, 2025 – At 11:00 am UTC, a record-breaking 310,719 participants of 191 nationalities set off simultaneously in 170 countries, running, walking or rolling to keep ahead of a moving finish line called the Catcher Car. Jo Fukuda of Japan set a distance record for the event by reaching 71.67 km as the men’s winner, while Germany’s Esther Pfeiffer achieved 59.03 km in claiming the women’s title, becoming the country’s first-ever women’s global champion. And whether participants were everyday heroes or international celebrities, the funds they raised will help brilliant researchers take the next steps toward finding a cure for spinal cord injury.
In the 2025 edition of the largest running event in the world, the runners and wheelchair users covered an average of 12.4 km each, for a total distance equivalent to nearly 64 times around the equator. Yet what they celebrated most was the fun and spirit of joining together for a good cause. A new single-year record of 8.6 million euros was raised, and as always, 100% goes directly to promising spinal cord research projects and clinical trials supported by the not-for-profit Wings for Life Spinal Cord Research Foundation.
Wings for Life CEO Anita Gerhardter said, “I am over the moon about the results of the Wings for Life World Run. One shared mission and so much love and energy from every corner of the world. With 310,917 world runners joining in, we raised 8.6 million euros for spinal cord research. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who made this day so special – whether you walked, ran, rolled, volunteered, or cheered us on. You’re the heartbeat of this movement. Together, we’ll find a cure for spinal cord injury. Thanks again and see you at the start line next year on May 10, 2026!“
Worldwide, participants ran individually with the Wings for Life World Run App or came together at one of 452 App Run Events (another record), which were held at a range of stunning locations, from within the Arctic Circle at Tromsø (NOR) to the vibrant bayfront in Miami (USA) and to Panama City (PAN), Cape Town (RSA), Madrid (ESP), London (GBR), Dubai (UAE), Tokyo (JPN), Sydney (AUS) and Rio de Janeiro (BRA). Others took part in one of the seven large-scale Flagship Runs held in Vienna (AUT), Munich (GER), Zug (SUI), Ljubljana (SLO), Zadar (CRO), Poznań (POL) and Breda (NED) – all joined by numerous high-profile sports professionals, performing artists and influencers.
For instance, the Catcher Car at the Flagship Run in Vienna was driven by two-time Olympic snowboard champion Anna Gasser, while in Poznań, ski jumping legend Adam Małysz was in the cockpit. In the unique Audio Experience of the Wings for Life World Run App, runners heard a celebrity driver of the Virtual Catcher Car encouraging them in a familiar language, such as former alpine skiing star and Dakar Rally winner Luc Alphand (speaking French), badminton sensation Tzu Ying Tai (traditional Chinese) and rock band frontman Ricky Wilson of the Kaiser Chiefs (UK English).
Many stars were running themselves, such as Red Bull Head of Global Soccer Jürgen Klopp (GER), skier Eileen Gu (CHN), surfing’s Carissa Moore (USA), hurdler Karsten Warholm (NOR), trials rider Fabio Wibmer (AUT), triathlete Lucy Charles-Barclay (GBR), tennis players Dominic Thiem (AUT), gamer Masato ‘Bonchan’ Takahashi (JPN), rally racing’s Sébastien Loeb (FRA), paddler Jessica Fox (AUS), cycling’s Tom Pidcock (GBR), skateboarders Leticia Bufoni (BRA) and Ryan Sheckler (USA), father and son windsurfing athletes Björn Dunkerbeck (DEN) and Liam Dunkerbeck (ESP).
While the run is an exhilarating day out for participants of every fitness level, on the sporting side new chapters were written. Jo Fukuda delivered a performance of historic proportions to claim his third global title. With an astounding 71.67km run, Fukuda not only shattered Tomoya Watanabe’s 2024 distance record, but also extended the world record by an incredible 1.58km. Fukuda’s performance was nothing short of a masterclass in ultra running, solidifying his place as a world-class winner.
“I’m really happy I won because I was absolutely determined to win again this year!”, Fukuda said after completing his monumental run.
The women’s competition also delivered a thrilling finish, with a historic breakthrough for Germany. In Munich, Esther Pfeiffer became the country’s first-ever women’s global champion in spectacular fashion. Clocking 59.03km, she also earned the accolade of becoming only the second woman ever to surpass the 59km mark, coming remarkably close to the all-time distance record. It was a magical moment for Pfeiffer, who fought hard through the final kilometers to secure the win and her place in the history books. Pfeiffer’s husband Hendrik also finished his race as the men’s winner at the Munich Flagship Run, and achieved fifth place globally.
“The first kilometers were really easy, but then after 30km it was really tough because I’m not running longer than 25km in my training. At every kilometer there were a lot of people who cheered for me, and that’s why I’m at 59km now!” Pfeiffer commented after securing her win.
In the Wings for Life World Run, everyone worldwide starts simultaneously at 11:00 am UTC – which, for example, is 1:00 pm in Central Europe, 11:00 pm in mainland New Zealand and 4:00 am in Vancouver, Canada – so the participants experienced a variety of conditions.
According to the official race weather forecaster, UBIMET, the hottest temperature recorded was in Dubai at 41°C and the coldest 6°C in Stockholm. Participants in Almeria faced wind speeds of 76km/h whilst the wettest conditions were recorded in the Red Bull Ring, Austria.
Since the first edition in 2014, a total of 1,870,253 Wings for Life World Run participants have raised a tally of 60.53 million euros. A total of 324 promising research projects and clinical trials have been supported by the Wings for Life foundation since its founding in 2004, all chosen through an exacting selection procedure.
The 13th edition of the Wings for Life World Run will take place on May 10, 2026. Registration for 2026 – including numerous App Run Events (with more to follow), all Flagship Runs and running individually with the Wings for Life World Run App – will open on November 5, 2025. For more information, to receive notifications and to register: www.wingsforlifeworldrun.com.
Full results list, news and reactions are available at www.wingsforlifeworldrun.com.
Unofficial results, Wings for Life World Run 2025:
Women:
1. Esther Pfeiffer (GER), Flagship Run Munich, 59.03km
2. Martyna Mlynarczyk (POL), Flagship Run Poznan, 57.80km
3. Patrycja Talar (POL), Flagship Run Breda, 57.04km
Men:
1. Jo Fukuda (JPN), App Run Event Fukuoka, 71.67km
2. Andreas Vojta (AUT), Flagship Run Vienna, 68.54km
3. Jake Barraclough (GBR), App Run Event Tokyo, 67.86km
RACE DAY QUOTES Wings for Life World Run, May 4, 2025
Eileen Gu, Olympic Champion (CHI)
“I’ve run this race five times in different altitudes, times and temperatures, but the one constant is running for Wings for Life. It’s a unique and special experience to run and push yourself for those who can’t.”
Jürgen Klopp , Red Bull Head of Global Soccer
“That’s it for me but probably for most of you, it’s only the start. My knee today gave me 30-something minutes, and now I’ll walk back. But what an experience. Thank you so much for joining, and I’ll see you next year. And I’ll train, so next year I can go longer!”
Dominic Thiem, US OPEN Grand Slam champion (AUT)
“The Wings for Life World Run was really, really cool – just as I had hoped. The first few kilometers flew by – the atmosphere was amazing, even before the start. And once it finally began, it was simply awesome.The last moments before the Catcher Car caught up with me were truly special. You feel the tension, you look around one last time – and emotionally, it’s a real highlight. The feeling of being right in the middle of it all was incredible. I really soaked up the energy – it just felt so good. Everyone was in a great mood, there was laughter, cheering, and we were all running together for a really great cause. The atmosphere along the course was also fantastic – so many people, so much support. That’s what makes running really fun.”
Damian Kornienko PLKD, Player and streamer of EA FC (formerly FIFA)
“This was my debut at the Wings for Life World Run, and I must admit it was the best running experience of my life! At first, I was slightly terrified because I started from the front line and feared being trampled. But it wasn’t that bad; for the first serious run in my life, it went quite well, better than I expected. Everyone should try it! This run has a wonderful atmosphere; everyone feels support and the sense of doing something valuable together with others. I recommend it!”
Tadeusz Błażusiak, six-time Super Enduro world champion (POL)
“As always, the atmosphere is wonderful, this run is colourful, full of good energy. The idea of the run is very close to my heart because I come from motorsports where spinal cord injuries happen, and I personally know several such people.”
About the Wings for Life Spinal Cord Research Foundation
Worldwide, millions of people are dependent on a wheelchair after having sustained a spinal cord injury, most often as the result of a traffic accident or a fall. Wings for Life is a not-for-profit spinal cord research foundation with the single mission to find a cure for spinal cord injury. Since 2004, Wings for Life has funded life-changing research projects and clinical trials around the globe. While a cure is still to be found, steady progress has been made. Every step taken at the Wings for Life World Run is a step in the right direction because 100% of entry fees and donations goes to spinal cord injury research: www.wingsforlife.com.
About the Wings for Life World Run
Once a year, the Wings for Life World Run takes place around the globe. All participants start at the same time worldwide and run either individually with the Wings for Life World Run App or together in several Flagship Runs. The best part is that any form of the run is all about being there. It doesn’t matter how well, fast or far you run, whether you’re a professional athlete, hobby runner or an absolute beginner. It is all about having fun while running. For this reason, there is no traditional finish line. Instead, 30 minutes after the start, either a virtual or – in the case of the Flagship Runs – a real Catcher Car picks up the chase and overtakes one runner after another. Results aren’t measured in time but in distance achieved. Best of all: 100% of entry fees and donations go directly to spinal cord research. In the editions of the Wings for Life World Run that have been completed to date, a total of 1,870,253 registered participants from 191 nationalities ran, walked and rolled on all seven continents and together raised a total of €60.53 million to find a cure for spinal cord injury. www.wingsforlifeworldrun.com
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