· Dublin’s Catriona Jennings was the UK‘s fastest woman, covering 55.08km in 3 hours, 52 minutes and finished in a very respectable 8th place globally
· Giorgio Calcaterra broke the global record by reaching 88.44km in 5 hours and 41 seconds
· Kaori Yoshida of Japan, wins the global female Wings for Life World Run title with a record-shattering 65.71km
· 2,500 participants took part in Cambridge at the UK leg of the Wings for Life World Run
The UK Wings for Life World Run in the historic city of Cambridge was won by Bournemouth born Steve Way, with the Catcher Car, driven by F1 legend David Coulthard, finally passing him after he ran an epic 63.75km in 4 hours 22 minutes on the hottest day of year. He came a very impressive 16th in the World. Utra runner Way, is the current V40 World Record holder for 40 miles and this year, he ran the London Marathon in an amazing time of 2:20:50. Way only began running seriously in 2007 to overcome lifestyle-related health issues, when he weighed over 100kg showing his dramatic improvement and commitment to running over the last 5 years.
After the race, Way commented, “The weather today destroyed me, I came here with big expectations and was secretly hoping to pass the 80km mark and take the world title. As you can see I was a little behind my target! The heat today in Cambridge, which was fantastic for the spectators, was hard on the participants. I knew after 40km I was going to have to do damage limitation, so I had to slow down and alternate walking and running, which I have never done in a race. Initially, all I was interested in was my global race position, but after 40km all I wanted to do was stay ahead of the Catcher Car and the bloke behind me. It was music to my ears to hear I was the last man standing, I’ve never been so happy to see David Coulthard in my life.”
The UK Women’s Race was won by Catriona Jennings from Dublin. The 2012 Olympian was eventually caught after making it through a gruelling 55.08km in 3 hours 52 minutes resulting in her finishing 8th in the world. Jennings is fighting for the final Irish spot in this year’s Olympic Games for the marathon and has a PB of 2 hours 36 minutes.
After the race, Jennings said “It’s very different as you are on your own, I think that is why the support is so important and all the locals along the way were really behind it. By the time the Catcher Car caught up with me, I was exhausted, so I was actually happy to see David Coulthard, it was a very hot day out there today. The atmosphere here in Cambridge has been absolutely fantastic and knowing that we are raising money for Wings for Life and all the good work that they do, is a great feeling.”
A record 130,732 registered runners have charged past start lines at 34 locations in 33 countries at 11am UTC today for the 3rd annual Wings for Life World Run. At high noon and in the deep of night, in rain and in blazing sun, recreational runners and top long-distance pros from around the globe came together to run simultaneously, raising awareness and much-needed funds for spinal cord research.
Also united in the movement are 20,556 Selfie Runners, whose buddies have rallied around them in teams that are blazing their own trails. No matter where they’re running, the participants are cheered on by enthusiastic supporters.
At each location, the moving Catcher Car finish line was driven by celebrities like Formula One’s David Coulthard in the UK and Max Verstappen in the Netherlands.
Italian ultramarathoner, Giorgio Calcaterra is the Global Male Champion of this year’s Wings for Life World run after completing it in a huge 88.44km in 5 hours and 41 seconds, smashing the Wings for Life World Run record of 79.9km. this year’s winner has completed the World Run in both 2014 and 2015, both times finishing fourth globally.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
Men:
1. G Calcaterra (ITA), Milan Italy 88.42km
2. Bartosz Olszewski (POL),Niagra Falls Canada 82.42km
3. Francisco Morales Santiago, Chille 75.47km
Women:
1. Kaori Yoshida (JPN), Takashima Japan 65.71km
2. Karin Freitag (GER), Munich Germany 59.08km
3. Vera Nunes (POR), Porto Portugal 58.86km
