Guide running the London Marathon

When Deafblind UK Chairman, Robert, decided to take on the London Marathon, he knew he would need the support of a guide runner.

“I’ve always been a keen runner and having a 70% hearing loss didn’t really impact this. That was, until I lost the last of my useful sight in 2020. Things got a bit more tricky after that.” Robert said. Robert was fortunate enough to meet his guide runner, Tim, through a local running group.

Click here to see Robert cross the finish line with his guide Tim!

“A friend of mine in the village put the word out that Robert was looking for someone to run with and it went from there.” Said Tim, who is a long-distance fell runner who has never run an organised marathon before.

Tim has quickly got to grips with being a guide runner. He explains: “I wear a Velcro strap on my arm with a loop that Robert holds onto. This is the easy bit! The main thing is that I have to be constantly aware of hazards that Robert could trip on. I steer him by pulling/ pushing on the strap and give voice commands. I have to be ever vigilant in case Robert falls and be there to catch him as he can’t obviously see to stop his fall.” No pressure then, Tim! As Tim has discovered, guide running is not only a great way to help fellow runners, but also to have the chance to enter big races, like the London Marathon. “It’ll be great to be part of such a big event and be there as support for someone else. I probably would never have got round to doing a marathon without this opportunity to help Robert, so it’s a win-win! I’m really looking forward to the atmosphere and being part of such a big event. But as a fell runner, I’m used to hills and mud so lots of flat roads will be very different for me!” He said.

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