Guwahati, Aug. 22: Twenty visually-impaired and an equal number of hearing-impaired girls will participate in the third edition of Pinkathon, termed India's biggest women's run, at the Sonaram School playground on October 15.

The run, an initiative of the United Sisters Foundation and Maximus Events, will be held in the 3km, 5km, 10km and 21km categories.

Supermodel, actor, fitness enthusiast, avid barefoot runner and Pinkathon founder Milind Soman formally announced the event in the presence of popular Assamese actress Barsha Rani Bishaya and breast cancer survivor Monali Bhardwaj.

A free medical check-up conducted by Apollo Hospitals and a free mammography for women above 45 years of age will be done on the day of the run.

The differently-abled girls, from the Guwahati Blind School and the Deaf and Dumb Institute, will be allowed to participate for free. The visually-impaired girls will be allotted a sighted partner to guide them in the run.

The partner will be trained up in a workshop.

The participants will be given a special medal with a message, I am Pinkathon and I inspire, written in Braille.

Dolly Rajbonshi, a participant of last year's run, was announced as the mascot for the visually-impaired squad which will be running in the 3km category. She was given the first special medal at the function today.

Soman said, "We are very excited to bring Pinkathon to Guwahati again and we are confident that the city and its people will support us and help make this run a success. Pinkathon is more than a marathon. It is the seed of change and the beginning of a movement that is carried forward by a growing community of empowered women across India who share a belief that a healthy family, a healthy nation and a healthy world begins with empowered women. The first step in empowerment is taking control of your own health, respecting yourself, understanding and celebrating the value you bring to your family and society. Empowerment is not a gift of society, it is a gift you give yourself."

Besides Guwahati, Pinkathon has already been held in various cities like Hyderabad, Calcutta, Pune, Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai this year.

Speaking at the event, Barsha Rani said, "The best way to avoid stress is by exercising. Running and exercising at the gym is the best solution to keep fit both in mind and body. Women are God's best creation and we have to maintain it. Pinkathon can be a great push towards this goal."