The Blind Mile Run is coming up on Friday, May 27th in Dubai and it has and participants will run or walk while being blindfolded, all while being guided by a partner who is not. The idea of the run is to challenge you in a totally new dimension once confronted with the sudden withdrawal of a key sense. Having to tap into your other senses while moving, we can imagine this to be both totally challenging and exhilarating at the same time!

The run will be over a distance of around 1600 meters as you either walk or run, and partners can alternate between who is running and guiding, giving both the opportunity to experience different roles. As the runner, you need to give up control and trust that your partner has your back, while as the guide you need to make sure your communication is on point.

If you’re wondering why bother running “blind”, other than the mental challenge and tuning into a deeper awareness, the run’s aim is to facilitate social inclusion of blind and disabled people on a global basis and provoke a change of perspective for the participant. This is actually the third edition of the run, so you can expect it grow and become a regular on the local event calendar.

The event is being held on Kite Beach, Dubai starting at 6pm. It is free to enter – simply turn up with a partner or by yourself (you’ll be assigned a partner if coming alone) – and just make sure you bring your own blindfold.

Find out more about the run and their cause on their Facebook event page.