App Run Events are selling out across the globe – but there's still time to find your perfect race location for 10 May 2026
Something big is happening in the build-up to this year’s Wings for Life World Run – and it’s being driven by you. With almost two months still to go before race day on 10 May, community-organised App Run Events have already surpassed last year’s record of 452, reaching 505 events worldwide, with sign-ups running at twice last year’s pace. Three events have sold out completely. And new App Run Events are popping up almost every day, on every continent. If you’ve been thinking about signing up, now is the time.
Built by the global community
If you haven’t tried an App Run Event before, here’s the idea: local organisers – runners, coaches, influencers or community groups – set up their own Wings for Life World Run event in their city, park, beach or sports arena, or literally anywhere that can host runners and wheelchair users.
App Run Events give you the full Wings for Life World Run experience – same app, same global start at 11:00 UTC, and a virtual Catcher Car hot on your heels. You’ll run alongside other participants all over the world at the same time.
What makes App Run Events different are the people behind them, built from the ground up by people who love running, believe in community and believe in the cause – finding a cure for spinal cord injury.
In Welsberg-Monguelfo, a small town in Italy’s Dolomites, the entire village has got behind its event – mayor, marching band and all. In Schaffhausen, Switzerland, organiser Günther Wagner has created a course along the Rhine Falls that’s open to both runners and wheelchair users. These are the stories behind the numbers, and they’re happening in hundreds of locations worldwide. And in 2026, there are more events to choose from than ever.
Going fast
Bratislava, Bragança Paulista and Kalety are already fully booked, while Warsaw is at 80% capacity, Tokyo is at 79%, São Paulo at 76% and Taipei at 76%.
With more than 68 countries and counting hosting App Run Events, and the top five alone – Austria (151), Germany (69), Poland (36), United States (28) and India (21) – accounting for more than half of last year’s total, this is a truly global picture. If there’s an App Run Event somewhere on your radar, don’t hesitate to sign up – regardless of how fast or far you can go, every single participant will be a finisher and appear on the global leaderboard.
Pick your adventure
For runners looking for a memorable race-day setting, this year’s App Run Events read like a travel bucket list. Among the most recognisable locations are Sydney, where runners will circle the Royal Randwick Racecourse; Tokyo, where a night run loops past the famous Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery and its ginkgo avenue; London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park; Nairobi’s Uhuru Park; Istanbul’s Bosphorus-side Cemil Topuzlu Park; and Milan’s CityLife district.
Further afield, runners can register for events in Paris, Berlin, Stockholm, Oslo, Prague, Valencia, Mexico City, Bogotá, Lima, Santiago, Brasília and Taipei.
The sheer variety of settings means there’s a location for everyone, from beach runs in Cape Town and Miami, night runs under neon-lit skyscrapers in Hong Kong and Tokyo, valley runs framed by Alpine peaks in Zillertal (Uderns), a park run in Valencia’s Turia Gardens, a lake run along Chicago’s Lake Michigan shoreline, racetrack events at the Budapest Hungaroring and Red Bull Ring, and even a run around Melbourne’s Lakeside Stadium in Albert Park.
Explore the full list at wingsforlifeworldrun.com and find the location that excites you most.
Aiming for another record-breaker
In 2025, 310,719 participants from 191 nationalities took part in the 12th edition of the Wings for Life World Run, from the Arctic Circle in Tromsø to Christchurch, New Zealand. More than one in three app runners chose an App Run Event, and the results were unforgettable. Jo Fukuda set a new global record of 71.67 km at an App Run Event in Fukuoka, Japan, running so far into the night that the virtual Catcher Car didn’t catch him until the following day.
With 2026 shaping up to be the most connected edition yet, new stories will be written and records are waiting to be broken – and by registering to take part, you could become part of a new chapter in Wings for Life World Run history.
How to find your perfect Wings for Life World Run event
When you take part in the Wings for Life World Run, you not only become part of an amazing global community and have an unforgettable experience, but 100% of your registration fee also goes towards finding a cure for spinal cord injury.
This year’s Wings for Life World Run takes place on 10 May 2026. Events are filling up and new ones are being added daily. Find your event and register now at wingsforlifeworldrun.com