Participants line up at the start line during the Wings for Life World Run in Santa Clarita, California, United States on May 3, 2015.

Lemawork Ketema won the Wings for Life World Run for the second year in succession, while Japan’s Yuuko Watanabe was crowned women’s champion, as runners joined together across the globe in support of research into spinal cord injury – and produced an incredible race and an even better party.

Ethiopian Ketema completed 79.9km before finally being overhauled by the Catcher Car five hours and five minutes into the race in St. Pölten, Austria after the other challengers across the 35 locations gradually dropped off.

César Hernández came closest to denying the defending champion in posting 78.3km in Santiago de Chile, with Peru’s Remigio Huaman Quispe third after completing 78.2km behind the winner in Austria. But Ketema always looked to have more in his legs and in the end he looked a comfortable winner as he repeated his success from the inaugural event in 2014.

“I am very lucky,” said Ketema, who dropped down and kissed the tarmac after sealing his win. “I held back a bit so we [he and Quispe] pushed together and worked together. I am very happy I have won for a second time.”

Watanabe triumphed in the darkness in Takashima, Japan as she outlasted Riana van Niekerk of South Africa, racing over 14,000km away in the sunshine of Cape Town. Van Niekerk was finally overtaken by the Catcher Car after 55.21km, leaving Watanabe alone on the course to secure victory after 56.33km.

‘It doesn’t feel real,” said Watanabe. “It seems like a dream. This is unlike any race I’ve been in. The Catcher Car coming up behind me meant I could run at my own pace. I was actually running slower than in training so I could run longer.”

It was another remarkable race, as some of the world’s leading ultra-long distance athletes took the start line with celebrities and sportspeople, amateurs and fun runners – many choosing to run in costume and enjoying the special atmosphere of a global race with no finish line.

Meanwhile, Red Bull Racing drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kvyat were among the many people running remotely via the Selfie App.  David Coulthard and Aksel Lund Svindal were among the Catcher Car drivers.

In Sweden, Aron Anderson became the first athlete to win one of the country races in a wheelchair, completing 64.82km before finally being overhauled by the Catcher Car – a unique feature of the race concept.

A total of 101,280 runners registered for the second edition of the Wings for Life World Run.

The simultaneous start at 1100 UTC meant it was night time in several locations, including Santa Clarita, California, where Olympic and world alpine skiing champion Lindsey Vonn sent updates from one of the cars, and Melbourne, where headlight-wearing athletes at the start line produced an iconic image.

In Gurgaon, India the athletes had to cope with temperatures of 33 degrees, while by the end of the race in Porto, northern Portugal, the rain was fairly lashing into the leaders, who donned silver blankets for some measure of protection against the elements.

For the winners, the rewards are significant. The male and female overall champions will win a round-the-world trip of a lifetime, while every one of the location winners gets to choose where they will run next time.

The difference this time for Ketema is that he will be able to take up the prize, having been prevented from doing so last year due to visa restrictions.

For the vast majority of the entrants this was about having fun, and raising money and awareness while doing it.

So we saw people dribbling footballs, carrying umbrellas and dancing along the course – even as the Catcher Cars closed them down to bring their personal races to a close.

Michael Wardian celebrated his victory in Australia by dropping down to do a press-up. Where he found the energy is anyone’s guess, but it was that sort of day.

Anita Gerhardter, CEO of the Wings for Life Foundation, said: “I am adrenaline-flushed still.

“It was a great day for Wings for Life and a great day for spinal cord research with €4.2 million raised, and donations are still coming in. It exceeded all my expectations. My highlight was the Swedish wheelchair racer Aron Anderson. But there were so many thrilling touching moments today.”