3 Great Running Tips for Blind Athletes

Now that Spring is finally here, we all want to get outside and breathe in the warm, fresh air. After a long, dark winter, runners around the world are transitioning from their basement treadmills to their local parks and race tracks. For blind athletes, how can running outside be accessible with the unpredictable factors of traffic, pedestrians, and other roadblocks? In this blog post, we will outline a couple of useful running tips.

Tip 1: Find a Guide

With heightened senses, runners can hear cars coming from a distance, or feel the yellow line on the pavement painted on to the street dividing the traffic, which helps them stay safe. Nonetheless, choosing a guide can be the most helpful thing for blind athletes who want to run outdoors.

In blind running lingo, “guide” or “volunteer” refers to the seeing person, and “athlete” refers to the visually impaired person. The guide holds onto one end of a 10-inch rope, and the athlete holds on to the other. The guide runs at the same pace as the athlete, so the rope stays taught. First and foremost, the guide must be safety conscious.

The guide is responsible for telling the blind person when to veer left or right, when to step up onto a curb, or where there might be a water fountain on the side of the road. The guide should be prepared to throw conventions of polite conversation to the wind, and the runner should be willing to obey immediately. If you’re interested in finding a guide in your area, you can search for a running partner at UnitedInStride.com.

Tip 2: Wear a Vest

Wearing a reflective vest with the word Blind on it, such as this one from ruseen.com, ensures that passersby both see you and understand to steer around you. This is a no brainer for blind athletes running at night or during the early morning.

Tip 3: Technology