The Wings for Life World Run 2024 – targeting a new personal best half-marathon?

What is the Wings for Life World Run?

The Wings for Life World Run is a global charity running event that takes place annually on the first weekend of May. The race is the world’s largest simultaneous running event using a mobile app to align all participants worldwide on the race day. The race raises funds for the Wings for Life foundation, a not-for-profit organization that supports spinal cord research.

Sometimes called the race without a finish line, the Wings for Life run has a “catcher car” that pursues and passes the participants, either physically at one of the Flagship Runs or virtually with the app, once the car passes you, your race is over. That makes it the only race worldwide where everyone finishes.

Third time doing the run

I participated in my first Wings for Life run in May 2021, completing a planned 10km route and ending my run before the catch car even caught me.

I did not participate in 2022.

In 2023 I had improved my general running fitness and decided to run the race as intended – go as far as I could before the catcher car caught me and ended my race. I was very pleased to achieve my fastest 12km run at the time.

I have since completed my first half-marathon at a significantly faster pace, and I have now set a goal to go even faster for my 2024 Wings for Life attempt.

New year, new goal

Setting a 25KM goal, with a required pace of 5:09 min/km (8:17 min/mil) before the catcher car gets me!

Could this be out of my reach, and I fail completely?

I have decided to set a pace almost 30 seconds per KM faster than my current half-marathon best!

Could this be too large a jump in pace?

Could this be out of my reach, and I fail completely?

Am I too old to still be getting faster?

These are valid questions I ask myself regularly, especially during my current training plan runs. I guess I will find out if I have the physical and mental ability to reach these lofty goals on the 5th of May 2024.

Training for my first marathon

I have decided to enter the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon in October 2024.

This will be my first marathon and is currently the furthest distance I would ever have run in a single activity. Setting a new PB during this year’s Wings for Life run will put me an great position to better plan my pacing and setting my goals for the marathon. The planning and training for the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon is a post in the making, so keep your eyes out for that.

Until then, wish me luck, and happy running.