This year’s Run in the Dark event for the Mark Pollock Trust is going virtual, with thousands of runners expected to participate on Wednesday 11 November.
The event is the trust’s principal fundraising event, which supports Mark Pollock to deal with the ongoing impact of his spinal cord injury, while enabling him to pursue a cure for paralysis.
Last year’s Run in the Dark featured thousands of NI runners at Stormont Estate, but in 2020 participants will run individually and track their runs on the Run in the Dark mobile app, to place on a global leaderboard.
The entry fee is £24.50 and the virtual run pack includes:
Since its inception, the event has taken place in 72 locations around the world and has involved over 120,000 runners. This will be the first year that no physical events will take place in any location.
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Mark Pollock became an adventure athlete in 1998 competing in ultra-endurance races across deserts, mountains, and the polar ice caps.
He became the first blind person to race to the South Pole, won silver and bronze medals for rowing at the Commonwealth Games, and has since set up a motivational speaking business.
In 2010, a fall from a second story window left Mark paralysed, with severe damage to his spinal cord. He now wants to find a cure for paralysis by exploring the intersection where humans and technology collide.
Since 2011 Mark and his team have co-created projects valued at over €2.5m involving rehabilitation, robotics, exercise physiology, neuro modulation, neuroscience, bioengineering and pharmacology.
Find out more about Mark’s story and how to sign up for Run in the Dark here.
