Celebrating Fitness and Inclusion: Running While Visually Impaired

Tim began running in 2019, shortly after losing his wife to Motor Neurone Disease (MND). When the MND Charity invited him to take part in the Great North Run in 2020, they introduced him to Adam, whose father had also passed away from the disease. Adam became Tim’s sighted guide, helping him navigate the course safely. Although the event was cancelled due to COVID restrictions, Tim didn’t stop running and he hasn’t looked back since.

Since then, Tim has completed:

• Two Leeds Half Marathons
• Four Great North Runs
• Manchester Trail Run
• Manchester Half Marathon
• Rob Burrow’s 2024 Marathon
• Lanzarote Half Marathon

After Lanzarote, Tim brought his medal to the Monday Art Group in Leeds, which he attends every fortnight. The group celebrated his achievement together—a wonderful example of community spirit and shared pride.

While the marathon proved challenging, Tim now focuses on half marathons and 10Ks. He uses sighted guides for most runs (often Adam), but also others depending on the event location. For Lanzarote, he power-walked and followed runners ahead, though he admits he got a little lost at times!

Tim is a proud member of British Blind Sport and the nationwide Fordy Runs Running Club. He also fundraises for the West Yorkshire Branch of the MND Association, raising an average of £300–£400 per run through his GoFundMe page! His next challenges? The Manchester Trail Run in April and the Great North Run later this year.