Blind Runner Tackles Marathon with Smart Glasses and Global Volunteer Guides!

Clarke Reynolds is a 45-year-old artist and runner from Havant, in the south of England. He has been visually impaired since he was six years old, and over the years, his sight has gotten worse. Clarke describes his vision now as being similar to looking through water—he can make out some shapes, shadows, and colors, but not much detail. Despite these challenges, Clarke has found creative ways to express himself and raise awareness about sight loss. He creates art using braille, the system of raised dots that blind people use to read and write. One of his projects includes making a replica of Nirvana's famous 'Nevermind' album cover using braille, with the lyrics to 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' spelled out in dots. Clarke also travels to schools as 'Mr. Dot,' teaching children about braille and what it means to live with sight loss.

Running is another passion for Clarke. He completed the London Marathon three years ago with the help of a guide runner, who ran alongside him and gave him directions. Now, Clarke is preparing for the Brighton Marathon, but this time, he wants to do it differently. Instead of having a guide runner by his side, he will use smart glasses and an app called Be My Eyes. These glasses have a built-in camera and speakers. When Clarke wears them, sighted volunteers from around the world can see what he sees in real time and talk to him through the glasses. They can warn him about obstacles, like bins or parked cars, and encourage him as he runs. Clarke says the volunteers are not just his guides, but also his cheerleaders.

Clarke has been training for the marathon by running laps around his neighborhood, a route he knows by heart. He has received support from more than 100 volunteers, some from as far away as Jordan. The charity Fight for Sight, for which Clarke is an ambassador, is helping to organize the volunteers for race day. There will also be a backup guide runner in case the technology fails. Clarke admits he was nervous before his first marathon, but now he feels confident and excited to take on this new challenge. He hopes his story will inspire other visually impaired people, especially children, to believe in themselves and try new things. Clarke wants to show that with the right support and technology, people with sight loss can achieve amazing things and live life to the fullest.