Botswana’s Wings for Life World Run continued its upward trajectory in 2026, held at the iconic Royal Aria Stadium on Sunday the 10th of May, with 450 participants taking part in the country’s second edition of the global event – marking strong year-on-year growth and cementing Botswana’s place in the worldwide movement running for spinal cord injury research.
Under the global banner “Running for those who can’t”, runners, walkers and wheelchair participants across Botswana joined thousands around the world in the unique race against the moving Virtual Catcher Car.
With this year’s global event including seven Flagship Runs and a record 648 App Run Events across 173 countries, alongside thousands of solo participants using the Wings for Life World Run App, runners, wheelchair users, joggers and walkers from every corner of the world came together to raise €9.2 million (approximately BWP146 million) for spinal cord injury research, with 100% of entry fees and donations going directly towards finding a cure.
Botswana’s growing participation reflects the increasing appetite for purpose-driven sporting events, with this year’s turnout significantly building on the inaugural event and contributing thousands of Pula towards the global fundraising effort.
Botswana’s growing participation reflects the increasing appetite for purpose-driven sporting events, with this year’s turnout significantly building on the inaugural event and contributing thousands of Pula towards the global fundraising effort.
“Events like the Wings for Life World Run are incredibly important for promoting visibility, inclusion and a true sense of belonging for wheelchair users within the broader community. They also create opportunities for potential sponsors to support athletes with access to wheelchairs, which can often be financially out of reach for many individuals. Beyond that, seeing wheelchair users actively participate can inspire others living with disabilities to stay motivated, keep fit and realise that life does not end after injury. Most importantly, the funds raised towards finding a cure for spinal cord injuries give hope to wheelchair users around the world.” said Ilan Ngwato, from Paralympics Association.
With momentum continuing to build locally and globally, Botswana’s Wings for Life World Run is quickly becoming a standout fixture on the country’s running calendar while contributing to one of the world’s largest fundraising movements for spinal cord injury research.
