Gweedore woman Sonia McGarvey is hoping for a big attendance at this year's Run in the Dark Donegal. 

The third annual Run In The Dark Donegal takes place on November 15th at 8pm. Championed by local mother Sonia McGarvey, it’s set to be another inspirational and inclusive event. 

Run in the Dark is a 5km wheelchair accessible run or walk that will take place in Letterkenny Town Park at 8pm. This is the third year of the event which has raised €11,318 to support the Mark Pollock Trust mission to fast-track a cure for paralysis.

Donegal champion is Sonia McGarvey, mother of Noirin who sustained a spinal cord injury at the age of 4, and Sonia is hoping for an even bigger attendance at this year’s event.

Run in the Dark Donegal team with Noirin McGarvey

Sonia decided to champion a Run In The Dark event after watching Mark Pollock’s documentary ‘Unbreakable’ as the similarities with Mark and Noirin struck a cord- the gruelling rehabilitation, learning to live with a spinal cord injury and searching for the cure.

The Run in the Dark started as an idea on a notepad and has grown from several hundred people running around Trinity College Dublin (Ireland) in 2011, to a global event of 25,000 people. This year, with a global target of €500,000 Run in the Dark will help to fund more global collaborations and multi-subject research trials.

To encourage more runners to the start line for this year’s event, the Donegal venue has been changed from Glenveigh National Park to Letterkenny Town Park.

There is no cure for paralysis, or any meaningful therapies for people with spinal cord injury. The Mark Pollock Trust aims to change this reality by finding and connecting people around the world to fast-track a cure for paralysis.

The Mark Pollock Trust’s main fundraiser – the Run in the Dark – plays a vital part in funding this mission. Run In The Dark Donegal participants can run or walk 5km on a wheelchair accessible route, joining runners from 6 continents from Sydney to San Francisco.

Entrants’ €25 donation will play a big part in helping the Mark Pollock Trust to reach its €500,000 fundraising aim this year.

To find out further information or sign up for this year’s event please go to www.runinthedark.org/donegal