[Event Report] The World's Largest Charity Run with 346,527 Participants from 173 Countries | Wings for Life World Run 2026
On May 10, 2026, the world's largest charity run, "Wings for Life World Run 2026," was held, with over 346,000 participants from 173 countries. A total of 9.2 million euros was raised for spinal cord injury treatment research, and Junya Fukuda from Fukuoka became the men's world champion.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 11, 2026 at 23:16
- 🔍 Collected: May 11, 2026 at 14:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 11, 2026 at 23:11 (8h 39m after Collected)
Jason Halayko for Wings for Life World Run
The Wings for Life World Run, the world's largest simultaneous charity running event organized by the Wings for Life Foundation, kicked off globally on Sunday, May 10th, at 8:00 PM Japan time.
In Japan, over 4,000 runners participated in various locations including Tokyo, Omiya, Fukuoka, and Hiroshima, running for spinal cord injury treatment research.
This 13th edition of the event saw a total of 346,527 participants from 173 countries and 192 nationalities. In the men's category, Junya Fukuda, who ran 78.95 km in Fukuoka, set a new event record and claimed his fourth world championship title.
In the women's category, Mikky Keetels from the Netherlands ran 62.24 km, brilliantly securing the world championship.
Suguru Saito (Fukuoka) / Jason Halayko (Tokyo) / Keisuke Kato (Omiya) for Wings for Life World Run
The "Wings for Life World Run" is a charity running event aimed at funding research for spinal cord injury treatments. It starts at the same time globally every May, and all participation fees are donated to spinal cord injury research.
Red Bull Japan Co., Ltd. has continuously supported this event since 2004.
This year, a record 9.2 million euros (approximately 1.5 billion JPY) was raised in donations. The cumulative donation amount has reached 69.7 million euros (approximately 11.7 billion JPY). All these funds are allocated to research for spinal cord injury treatments.
Unlike regular running events, this event not only features runners starting simultaneously worldwide but also has no finish line. Thirty minutes after the start, a pursuit vehicle called the "Catcher Car" (or a virtual Catcher Car in app-run events) begins to move, gradually increasing its speed as it chases the runners. When a runner is overtaken by the Catcher Car, their race ends.
Jason Halayko for Wings for Life World Run
Wings for Life World Run 2026 Tokyo Venue Event Report
At the app-run event venue in Meiji Jingu Gaien, Tokyo, official Japanese ambassadors gathered: Tomoka Igari, an idol from Kamen Joshi who performs in a wheelchair due to a spinal cord injury; Mako Shibuya, a wheelchair YouTuber; Norihiro Akahoshi, a former professional baseball player and commentator who experienced a spinal cord injury; and Chiitan☆, a fairy otter mascot.
Also present were Red Bull athletes: Ryusei Yamada, Hiroto Ogiwara, Mari Fukada, Valentino Guseli (snowboarding); Yumeka Oda, Hinano Kusaki (skateboarding); Yu-ri (freestyle football); Jason Paul (parkour); and Ukyo Sasahara (racing driver).
Furthermore, this year saw notable participation from the Aoyama Gakuin University Ekiden team, three-time consecutive Hakone Ekiden champions, who are also gaining attention for their partnership with Red Bull.
Jason Halayko for Wings for Life World Run
As evening approached, upbeat music filled the venue, and runners, enjoying costumes and face paint, gathered one after another. This year, many international participants were seen, and with a diverse group including wheelchair users, the entire venue was filled with a sense of unity and excitement even before the start.
Then, at 8 PM, the race began with the signal for the global simultaneous start. Runners started at their own pace, responding to cheers from the roadside.
About an hour after the start, participants began to finish as they were caught by the approaching Catcher Car. Tomoka Igari and Mako Shibuya also showed strong runs in their wheelchairs, finishing the race with smiles.
Jason Halayko for Wings for Life World Run
Approximately three hours after the event began, the number of participants gradually decreased. By the time both men and women had covered over 50km, only less than 1% of the elite runners worldwide remained. They continued to run on their respective national/regional courses, aiming to break world records.
In this competition, Junya Fukuda from Fukuoka ran 78.95 km, breaking the world record and becoming a four-time world champion and the top male runner in Japan. In the women's category, Mikky Keetels from the Netherlands ran 62.24 km.
The Wings for Life World Run, the world's largest simultaneous charity running event organized by the Wings for Life Foundation, kicked off globally on Sunday, May 10th, at 8:00 PM Japan time.
In Japan, over 4,000 runners participated in various locations including Tokyo, Omiya, Fukuoka, and Hiroshima, running for spinal cord injury treatment research.
This 13th edition of the event saw a total of 346,527 participants from 173 countries and 192 nationalities. In the men's category, Junya Fukuda, who ran 78.95 km in Fukuoka, set a new event record and claimed his fourth world championship title.
In the women's category, Mikky Keetels from the Netherlands ran 62.24 km, brilliantly securing the world championship.
Suguru Saito (Fukuoka) / Jason Halayko (Tokyo) / Keisuke Kato (Omiya) for Wings for Life World Run
The "Wings for Life World Run" is a charity running event aimed at funding research for spinal cord injury treatments. It starts at the same time globally every May, and all participation fees are donated to spinal cord injury research.
Red Bull Japan Co., Ltd. has continuously supported this event since 2004.
This year, a record 9.2 million euros (approximately 1.5 billion JPY) was raised in donations. The cumulative donation amount has reached 69.7 million euros (approximately 11.7 billion JPY). All these funds are allocated to research for spinal cord injury treatments.
Unlike regular running events, this event not only features runners starting simultaneously worldwide but also has no finish line. Thirty minutes after the start, a pursuit vehicle called the "Catcher Car" (or a virtual Catcher Car in app-run events) begins to move, gradually increasing its speed as it chases the runners. When a runner is overtaken by the Catcher Car, their race ends.
Jason Halayko for Wings for Life World Run
Wings for Life World Run 2026 Tokyo Venue Event Report
At the app-run event venue in Meiji Jingu Gaien, Tokyo, official Japanese ambassadors gathered: Tomoka Igari, an idol from Kamen Joshi who performs in a wheelchair due to a spinal cord injury; Mako Shibuya, a wheelchair YouTuber; Norihiro Akahoshi, a former professional baseball player and commentator who experienced a spinal cord injury; and Chiitan☆, a fairy otter mascot.
Also present were Red Bull athletes: Ryusei Yamada, Hiroto Ogiwara, Mari Fukada, Valentino Guseli (snowboarding); Yumeka Oda, Hinano Kusaki (skateboarding); Yu-ri (freestyle football); Jason Paul (parkour); and Ukyo Sasahara (racing driver).
Furthermore, this year saw notable participation from the Aoyama Gakuin University Ekiden team, three-time consecutive Hakone Ekiden champions, who are also gaining attention for their partnership with Red Bull.
Jason Halayko for Wings for Life World Run
As evening approached, upbeat music filled the venue, and runners, enjoying costumes and face paint, gathered one after another. This year, many international participants were seen, and with a diverse group including wheelchair users, the entire venue was filled with a sense of unity and excitement even before the start.
Then, at 8 PM, the race began with the signal for the global simultaneous start. Runners started at their own pace, responding to cheers from the roadside.
About an hour after the start, participants began to finish as they were caught by the approaching Catcher Car. Tomoka Igari and Mako Shibuya also showed strong runs in their wheelchairs, finishing the race with smiles.
Jason Halayko for Wings for Life World Run
Approximately three hours after the event began, the number of participants gradually decreased. By the time both men and women had covered over 50km, only less than 1% of the elite runners worldwide remained. They continued to run on their respective national/regional courses, aiming to break world records.
In this competition, Junya Fukuda from Fukuoka ran 78.95 km, breaking the world record and becoming a four-time world champion and the top male runner in Japan. In the women's category, Mikky Keetels from the Netherlands ran 62.24 km.