Top blind and visually impaired runners from around the world head to Boston in June 2009 for the Vision 5K, one of the few races dedicated to disabled athletes.

The Vision 5K is a unique event where blind and sighted participants run or walk side by side. World-class blind runners, weekend walkers, and a partnership of four top blindness organizations come together to honor and promote the efforts of visually disabled people and those who serve them.

The 2009 Vision 5K takes place Sunday, June 7 at 9:30 AM at Boston College (140 Commonwealth Avenue, Main Gate) in Newton, Massachusetts. Runners can register online.
Vision 5K Awards Blind Runners Prize Money, US Championship

Few road races have a separate division for blind and visually impaired runners; fewer still award prize money. The Vision 5K puts blind athletes on a par with wheelchair and able-bodied participants in other races by enabling them to compete for recognition and a prize.

The United States Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) designates the Vision 5K as the US road race championship for the blind and visually impaired. The race awards $7,600 in prize money to the top five blind or visually impaired male and female finishers. Guides to top blind runners receive an honorarium.

Visually Impaired Division Prize Money Breakdown (Men & Women)

• 1st: $1,500
• 2nd: $1,000
• 3rd: $600
• 4th: $400
• 5th: $300

Guides to top finishers receive:

• 1st. ($250)
• 2nd. ($200)
• 3rd. ($150)
• 4th. ($100)
• 5th. ($50).

Eligibility for Vision 5K Visually Impaired Division

Entrants must be legally blind (i.e. impairment ranging from total blindness to visual acuity of 20/200 in the better eye with best correction, or a field of vision less than 20 degrees) to participate in the Visually Impaired Division. Certification may be required.
The Vision 5K Blindfold Challenge

One of the Vision 5K’s most popular attractions is the Blindfold Challenge, in which sighted runners don blindfolds and team up with sighted guides to experience the race as a blind person.

For many participants, accepting the Blindfold Challenge takes competition to a new level. Covering ones eyes uncovers how much guts and determination a person has: it frees runners to do things in a new way, and provides a glimpse of what’s possible.

As the Vision 5K website puts it, “You’ll understand what anyone with a vision impairment already knows: that being blind won’t hold you back, that you don’t need your eyes to see what’s inside you—that, in the end, fear is the only disability.”

In addition to the Visually Impaired Division and the Blindfold Challenge, the Vision 5K welcomes walkers, has a kids fun run, and is well known for its post-race amenities, including live music and a wide variety of food from local companies, including Legal Sea Foods and Cabot’s Ice Cream.

The race’s Visually Impaired Division is sponsored by the Carroll Center for the Blind, MAB (Massachusetts Association for the Blind) Community Services, the National Braille Press, and the Perkins School for the Blind.

Though originally designed as a race for elite blind runners, the Vision 5K has evolved into a major fundraiser and community event that unites hundreds of individuals, nonprofits, and corporations to celebrate and promote the accomplishments of the visually impaired. Call 617.732.0264 for more information.

The copyright of the article Vision 5K Road Race for the Blind in Accessible Recreation is owned by Andrew Leibs. Permission to republish Vision 5K Road Race for the Blind in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.