Hundreds of Canadians Join 100,000 Worldwide in the Wings for Life World Run

NIAGARA FALLS, ON -- (Marketwired) -- 05/03/15 -- Today, over 700 participants, from hobby runners to professional athletes such as Paralympic gold medalist Josh Dueck, adventurer Will Gadd and Olympic gold medalist Dara Howell, joined hundreds of thousands around the world at 35 race sites across 6 continents to participate in the second-ever Wings for Life World Run. The only simultaneous global running race in the world, 101,280 runners participated in the event this year. The event raised 4.2 million Euro ($5.5 million CND), with 100% of entry fees in support of spinal cord research.

"Today's event was spectacular, in every way possible. The pace this year was certainly elevated from last year, pushing so many people to reach their personal best, myself included. I went well beyond my expectation all for my loved ones. My family feels the pain and challenges of a spinal cord injury just as much as it has impacted me," said Paralympic Gold Medalist Josh Dueck who took his chair to a remarkable 50km.

After a frigid winter season that saw the iconic Niagara Falls freeze over for the first time in recent history, participants revelled in the mild spring weather and sunny skies that made ideal conditions for the run that started at Kingsbridge Park and along the Niagara Parkway, passing the falls before leading out into the countryside.

LOCAL WINNERS

The race awarded both local and global winners in male and female categories. In Niagara Falls, it was Blaine Penny of Calgary, AB who won the male category with a phenomenal distance of 65km, making him the last person running among the 3 North American events which included Santa Clarita, CA and Sunrise, FL in addition to Niagara Falls. The event holds a special place in Blaine's heart as he ran for his son who suffers from a mitochondrial disorder rendering him qudriplegic.

"I have a son who's a quadriplegic and anything I can do to make him proud is what matters. He's not mobile and can't do these things...  the slogan 'Running for Those Who Cant' was my inspiration today. To come out here and suffer for a bit like this is our duty to do it for those who can't" - Blaine Penny

Just a few kilometers behind was Canadian Olympic cyclist Lyne Bessette of Quebec who won the women's category with a total distance of 47km. For the majority of the run, she was joined by husband and professional cyclocross athlete, Tim Johnson.

"I was aiming to run a marathon distance, and did 38km with Tim. But I was running for a friend of mine who recently suffered an accident that resulted in a T8 spine fracture. She was my motivation and she was with me the whole time. I hit 42km mark and knew I just had to keep going..." - Lyne Bessette

INTERNATIONAL WINNERS

At the global level, it was again Lemawork Ketema of Etheopia who was the last man running in the world for the second year in a row with a total distance of 79.9km, beating his previous record of 78.75km. In the female category, Yuuko Watanabe of Japan won the Wings for Life World Run title with a total distance of 56.3km. 

PAULY PLEWA RIDES AGAIN

For local participant Paul Plewa of Stoney Creek, it wasn't just the 'Catcher Car that made the event a unique experience; it also marked the first time Plewa ran distance since suffering a spinal cord injury three years ago. The aspiring motocross racer was given a 2% chance of walking again, but through sheer determination and luck, Plewa made an astonishing recovery. Participating in the Wings for Life World Run, Plewa ran a remarkable 5km, well beyond his expectations heading into the event.

"I was a little nervous coming in since it was the first time I had done anything this big, but I knew it was going to be fun. As soon as the runners got going, all my nervousness disappeared and the support from people along the way was incredible. Realistically, I was aiming for 2-3km but I knew I had to make it past Niagara Falls, and I pushed hard to get to 5km. I'll definitely be doing this again..." - Paul Plewa

RACE FORMAT

Unlike a traditional race, there is no static finish line. Competitors run in front of an advancing 'catcher car' with each car around the world governed by a single, global race schedule. Half an hour after the runners start, the catcher car at every race location begins on the track. Once a catcher car overtakes a runner, their race is over. This will continue until there is only one male and one female athlete in the world left running. Only they will be crowned the Wings for Life World Run Champions, meaning runners not only compete head to head with those in their country, but around the world.

SPINAL CORD INJURY

It is estimated that 3,000,000 people worldwide are living with a spinal cord injury. Every year 130,000 more sustain a spinal cord injury, followed by paralysis -- the main cause being traffic accidents. In Canada, there are over 86,000 people living with spinal cord injury with 51% as a result of traumatic injury. Each year, it is estimated that there are 4,300 new cases across the country. The advances in research are largely based on private initiatives. Being a non-profit organisation, Wings for Life relies on support and donations to help fund this research. Wings for Life is set up to ensure that 100% of all donations it receives are used exclusively for promising research projects.

MEDIA ASSETS

STILL IMAGES:

Media assets including still images and video clips from the event are available via the Wings for Life World Run News Room. All assets are free to download for editorial use.

STILL IMAGES

Local Selects

International Selects

MOVING IMAGES

Local News Cut

RELATED ARTICLES

Josh Dueck Gears Up for Wings for Life World Run

Josh Dueck on Life After Injury

Paul Plewa is Proving That With Hard Work and Dedication, Anything is Possible

Kevin Rempel Shares His Story

Will Gadd Prepares for the Wings for Life World Run

SOCIAL GUIDE

For the latest information on the Wings for Life World Run, follow along at:

Web: www.wingsforlifeworldrun.com

Twitter: @WFLWorldRun / @RedBullCanada

Instagram: @WFLWorldRun / @RedBullCanada

#WingsForLife #WorldRun #NiagaraFalls 

The following files are available for download:

• Wings for Life World Run 2015 Canada - Niagara: Participants - Action
• Wings for Life World Run 2015 Canada - Niagara: Participants - Action
• Wings for Life World Run 2015 Canada - Niagara: Blaine Penny - Winner
• Wings for Life World Run 2015 Canada - Niagara: Participants - Action

   CONTACTGeoff PadmoreRed Bull Canadageoff.padmore@ca.redbull.com416.902.1531www.wingsforlifeworldrun.com

Source: Red Bull Canada

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