About Us
In the ever-evolving landscape of global fitness and community engagement, World Run Day stands out as a remarkable testament to the power of virtual events in uniting people across the globe. Established in 1999 by visionary entrepreneur Bill McDermott, this groundbreaking event was conceived with a simple yet profound goal: to bring together individuals from every corner of the world through the universal language of running. It also enabled runners to donate directly to their charity of choice.
A video was created by founding member Bill McDermott to detail the benefits of running.
History
25 Years of Running History
How We Got Started
In 1999, World Run Day was created to celebrate the sport of running on a worldwide scale. The “virtual run” concept was created to allowed all runners the opportunity to celebrate running wherever they lived. All registered runners were provided with event t-shirts, and numbered bibs (PDF Bib Numbers via e-mail). Their names were posted on our website with their distance, time, and charity donation. Pictures were e-mailed by runners. Everyone loved the concept!
Our Founder
As an lifetime avid runner, Bill McDermott, of Long Beach, NY founded World Run Day with the idea that all participants could enjoy there favorite sport in unison with others worldwide. His career as a Project Manager in New York City enabled him to coordinate registration using the internet in 1999. His video below details the 100 Benefits of Running.
Our First Race
The first race had many virtual runners; however we were able to get about 25 locations around the world where people would have small crowds (10-200 runners) on a dedicated course..
$50k+ Donated
In the first few years we had approximately 50k in donations to various charities throughout the world. For privacy reasons in recent years we do not divulge the charity amounts donated by individuas.
Team
Event Coordinator – Bill McDermott
Register to Race!
Register in advance for World Run Day 2025