Kenyan Ranks 12th globally at Wings for Life World Run
Ultra-runner
James Mwaura has retained his title of last man running at the Wings for Life
World Run, Kenya edition.
Mwaura ran
an impressive 60 kilometers to earn him the 12th position globally out of
206,000 runners.
The Wings
for Life World Run is a global charity event that aims to raise funds for
spinal cord injury research.
The unique
aspect of the race is that there is no set finish line, and runners are pursued
by a virtual Catcher Car, which starts 30 minutes after the runners.
The Catcher
Car then gradually increases its speed, and when it passes a runner, their race
is over. The last person running in each country are celebrated as the country
winners.
In a
post-race interview, Mwaura mentioned that he believes his purpose is to make
the world a better place, and the Wings for Life World Run helps him make that
a reality.
Mwaura, who
did 38kms last year ranking position 7,280 globally, attributed his major
improvement to consistent and regular training as well as experience in
participating in competitions such as Run Across Kenya which was 956km long.
Japan's Jo
Fukuda and Poland’s Katarzyna Szkoda emerged the top men’s and women’s overall
global winners respectively. Fokuda ran an impressive 69.01km while Skoda ran
55.3kms.
Fukoda, now
a two-time event winner, said: "I injured myself two months ago and
couldn't practice enough – so I could tell it was going to be a tough race. But
I had a very strong will to win again, and that pushed me to keep going. The
Wings for Life World Run is a very special event for me because I can give
courage and impact others in a positive way with something I love –
running."
Following
her victory, Szkoda, who ran in Poznań, Poland, said: "This feeling is
sensational; it was one of the best feelings in my life! I had information on
the route that I was the first here in Poznań, and later that I was first
globally, but somehow it didn't quite reach me. I guess I need some time to
process that!"
The 2023
edition of Wings for Life World Run also marked a milestone with entry fees and
donations totalling €5,802,595, and 100 per cent of all entry fees and
donations going directly to spinal cord research.
For more
information on the Wings for Life World Run and the 2022 results, please visit https://www.wingsforlifeworldrun.com/
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