Mumbai: Colin Jackson, a three-time world champion, said he was captivated by the slogan of the Wings for Life World Run: Running for those who can’t. The 46-year-old Olympic silver medallist (1988), the international director for sports for May 4 race, is thrilled by the special challenges of organizing the world’s first-ever global endurance event, where thousands of runners will be racing up to 40 tracks in 35 countries at exactly the same time.
“Ultimately the goal for me is to have a very successful event,” said Jackson, who will also be the race’s liaison with the media. “I want people to talk about it, to say, ‘This was fantastic!’ First, because it’s a great idea; second, because it’s well-organized; and third, because they’ll say, ‘Look at how much money you raised!’”
Jackson, a highly regarded sports personality in Britain, will oversee the race on May 4, when the world will run as one for a day. Thousands of competitors will all start at 10am UTC and the corresponding times across the globe. The race is open to runners of all levels, from first-timers and passionate amateurs to professional athletes.
The format of the Wings for Life World Run is the first such global sporting event of its kind. The race tracks will be defined, but runners will not be running a set distance. Instead of chasing the finish line, the finish line will be chasing them: Half an hour after the start signal sounds, the official catcher cars will simultaneously set off at each race track, pursuing the runners. The pace will accelerate at determined intervals to a rigid global schedule. When the catcher car passes a runner, their race is over. The last man and woman left running on the world will be the global winners.
“What we’re trying to achieve is genuine – running for those who can’t. The title says it all,” said Colin, whose 110-meter hurdle world record time of 12.91 seconds stood for more than a decade. “Deep down, every single person on this planet knows they could potentially have a spinal cord injury. It’s a shock and there’s not enough investment into research about it. We need to raise enough so we can capture the best scientists who will stick around and make a real difference in people’s lives.”
In India, the Wings for Life World Run will kick-start at 3.30pm in Sonipat (Haryana).
