People around the world set off for race together for charity

Dubai - Everyone - wheelchair users and runners alike - started at 11am UTC, and the runners were then chased slowly by a catcher car

People in Dubai from different walks of life came together on Sunday evening to support a global charity event with a unique - and uniquely fun - format.
Titled the 'Wings of Life' World Run, the marathon is a worldwide run where everybody starts simultaneously and the finish line chases you! Thus, it's a race where every participant is sure to finish! The fourth edition of the Wings for Life World Run managed to raise 6.8 million euros for the main idea behind the event: raising money for spinal cord research.
An unprecedented total of 155,288 people around the world, from everyday heroes to elite running champions, registered for Sunday's event across 111 locations. The run began at 11am UTC, when participants simultaneously crossed start lines in 58 countries, whether it was day (Brazil) or night (Australia), in heat and humidity (Taiwan) or a hailstorm (Slovenia), which didn't stop enthusiastic participants including that country's president, Borut Pahor, who ran 20.48km.
Everyone - wheelchair users and runners alike - started at 11am UTC, and the runners were then chased slowly by a catcher car. When the catcher car passed a runner, the race is considered over for them.
French national Vivian, 57, had come along with her friend Kirsty, 49, from Scotland, to take part in the Dubai marathon. "Both of us know of people who have been affected by spinal cord injuries and so we were super excited about supporting the cause. We are basically running partners, as we met while running in the Marina area. We feel it is a wonderful way of bringing people together for a cause. The best part is there is no finishing line and I got caught at 5.5km, while Kirsty was caught by the catcher car at 7km. We thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it."
Another participant, Reham, whose 17-year-old son Seif with special needs was also competing in the race, was accompanied by her friend Manal, who was pushing Seif's wheelchair. Together, the duo managed to complete almost 7km. "It was wonderful today for me and my family to see our son enjoy this outdoor activity. It's important for these kids with special needs to be able to enjoy activities; their whole life shouldn't only be about therapy," said Reham.
In the 40-degree heat of Dubai, Swedish wheelchair-bound athlete Aron Anderson was crowned global winner of the charity run as he covered 92.14km, while the female record was broken by Emily Waugh (from Britain) who clocked in 43.01 km.
After the race, Wings for Life CEO Anita Gerhardter said: "Congratulations to everyone, everywhere, who participated, donated or volunteered. By taking on this single challenge today, you've given hope to those who face countless challenges every day. The funds you've raised will enable top researchers to push forward with finding a cure to spinal cord injury."
saman@khaleejtimes.com