THIS weekend a group of charitable Canberrans will get a better understanding of what it’s like to be homeless when they line up for “The Amazing Homeless Race”, a unqiue event organised for the first time by local Christian social work organisation Missionheart.

Canberra’s already had two charity sleepouts this year, where participants experience a slightly warmer, safer version of sleeping rough, but the 24-hour Amazing Homeless Race takes the concept a couple of steps further, inspired by a popular television show with a similar name.

Pastor Jason Hayduk, who has led Missionheart for over 16 years, explains there will be about 15 different challenges during the race, which goes from 5.30pm on Friday night until around the same time on Saturday.

“We’re not telling participants too much about what they’re going to come up against,” he says. “We want it to be a surprise, but the challenges all come from our experience over the last 16 or 17 years of what life is like for our homeless people.”

The challenges and puzzles for the two-person teams, based on typical aspects of life for many homeless people, include activities like a “shopping trolley derby”, asking people for a bus fare, eating baked beans within a time limit and a supervised sleepout on Friday night.

Hayduk explains that while it’s all designed to be a lot of fun, the activities will also highlight a real way of life that is led by a growing number of Canberrans.

“There are people genuinely sleeping outside, under a bush or something, and others who’ve been couch surfing for years,” he says. “It is a big issue in Canberra and it definitely has been growing; it’s definitely getting worse.”

The pastor hopes the event will be a fun way to raise the profile of homeless people as a group in Canberra society, and promote the work of Missionheart at the same time.

“It’s like a church without walls,” he explains. “We often meet in the park and put on a lunch and a lot of people come who are homeless. Some come for community, some for the food and others just come along to tell us they’ve got to see their kids that week.

“We’re not trying to fix peple; were trying to build relationships and bring them into the community, and we’ve found that relational approach to be a powerful tool.”

Hayduk says there is definitely room for more competitors in this weekend’s Amazing Homeless Race, and it’s not quite too late to get involved since registrations close today. If that isn’t possible, Missionheart plans to hold it again next year.

More information on at missionheart.org.au/events-registration