The unique race officially began at 13:00 CET on May 4, 2025, with participants challenged to outrun a moving finish line - a Catcher Car driven in Poznań by former ski jumping champion Adam Małysz.
The charity race raises funds for spinal cord research, with runners trying to stay ahead of a moving finish line - a chase car driven by former ski jumping champion Adam Małysz. Photo: PAP/Jakub Kaczmarczyk
Since its launch in 2014, the event has attracted over 1.5 million runners from 195 countries, raising nearly €52 million for spinal cord injury research.
While in-person spots in Poznań sold out within minutes, thousands more joined virtually using a dedicated app, running in locations worldwide - from major cities to small towns.
Winners earn the chance to take part in future editions abroad, making it both a competitive and deeply personal experience for many.
Photo: PAP/Jakub Kaczmarczyk
Watch live coverage below on the Wings for Life World Run YouTube channel.
UPDATE: Wings for Life World Run 2025 results - Top performances from Poland and worldwide
Martyna Młynarczyk from Poznań achieved the best result in Poland at the Wings for Life World Run, covering 57.8 kilometers. She also secured second place in the global women's ranking. Polish runner Patrycja Talar finished third, competing in Breda, Netherlands.
The Wings for Life World Run is unique because there’s no traditional finish line. Instead, participants are chased by a car that starts 30 minutes after them and gradually increases speed, with the goal being the distance covered, not time; anyone overtaken by the car, driven by Adam Małysz, must end their race. Photo: PAP/Jakub Kaczmarczyk
Among the men, the top Polish finisher was Dariusz Nożyński, also in Poznań, who placed fourth globally with a distance of 67.3 kilometers.
The best global performances came from Jo Fukuda of Japan, who ran 71.6 kilometers, and Esther Pfeiffer from Munich, who covered 59 kilometers.
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Source: IAR/YouTube.com/@wflworldrun/facebook.com/reel/671972895536582