“Some people are walking around with full use of their bodies and they're more paralyzed than I am.” - Christopher Reeve
Paralysis manifests in different ways. For somebody like Mark Pollock, the founder of Run in the Dark, despite becoming blind in 1998, Mark Pollock became an adventure athlete racing in deserts, mountains, and The Poles. He even became the first blind person to race to the South Pole. In 2010 a fall from a second story window nearly killed him, Mark broke his back and the damage to his spinal cord left him paralysed.
Run in the Dark emerged to support Mark in those early days and now he’s on a new expedition, this time to cure paralysis in our lifetime. Over the last 10 years, with the support of so many runners and donors for Run in the Dark, Mark has worked with scientists, technologists, investors and entrepreneurs to catalyse collaborations worth over €100 million. All donations and participant fees from Run in the Dark will go to Collaborative Cures, their charity partner for achieving this mission.
That’s what Run in the Dark is all about. Many suffer from paralysis, but we hope that this movement can drive us with this immense gratitude that we have the mobility and stamina that we do today for others that may not be so lucky. So, we get ready to run, walk, skip, hop or roll (whatever our participants choose), for those who dream to walk such that they may find strength to preserve to choose hope because then anything is possible.
Global Shapers Munich organized the charity run in Munich with over 50 participants first in 2022. The second edition took place on 15 November 2023. Thanks to everyone who joined us as either a volunteer or runner!
WHat Was different This Time?
Target runners is 100, twice the size of last year
Formal approval has been issued by the City of Munich so we have a running route for 5 and 10 km outside organized for our fellow runners without mobility aids.
Anyone with mobility aids will be completing the route on the running track with the option for 2.5 km.
we’re joined by our wonderful DACH shapers from Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Geneva, Vienna, The Hague and Zurich who’ll be coordinating the run in these cities too.
Key details:
INSEL - Inklussionssport der Stiftung Pfennigparade Mittlere-Isar-Straße 11, 81925 München
Arm band pick up is possible from 17:00 and run will start at 18:00 with varying race starts depending on how many people sign up
After-party at an Irish Pub - further details to follow
