Marathon Team Taps into Local Running Groups to Find Guide Runners for the Blind
Posted Friday, 6 April, 2012
Boston, MA – Most might wonder, how does a blind person run the Boston Marathon? The same way a sighted person does: right foot, left foot, and remembering to hydrate. And to make sure they don’t meet any potholes along the way, they can choose to team up with sighted guides.
Team With a Vision, the Marathon team for the Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (MABVI), will bring nine visually impaired runners from all over the United States to compete in the Boston Marathon this April 16. MABVI has connected with running clubs from all over the area to match guide runners with these elite VI athletes.
“Finding guides for our elite athletes with visual impairments was no easy feat,” said Josh Warren, Team With a Vision Coordinator. “They are so fast, in some cases we had to arrange for a couple of guides to switch off along the course, to be able to keep up the pace!”
MABVI has worked with groups such as Back On My Feet, the Cambridge Running Club, Community Running, and Somerville Road Runners to find top-notch runners to help guide in the Marathon this year. Team With a Vision aims to raise awareness for the capabilities of blind and visually impaired individuals, and over the past 18 years has raised over $1 million for MABVI.
The Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired provides services to adults with vision loss across the state, including vision rehabilitation, low vision clinics, support groups, and volunteer services, to help people with vision loss to lead independent lives.
ABOUT MAB:
Founded as the Massachusetts Association for the Blind, MAB has been creating opportunities for people with disabilities since 1903. Our experience allows us to forge strong community partnerships to meet the pressing need for high quality services and transform lives. www.mabcommunity.org
