New Hampshire Department of Education Division of Adult Learning and Rehabilitation Services for Blind and Visually Impaired New Hampshire Association for the Blind
«
»

Competitive Options Increase for Blind, Visually Impaired Runners

Blind Runners Take off in 2008 Vision 5K (Boston), Anthony Leibs
Opportunities are increasing for visually impaired runners: separate divisions, prize money, and national titles are now beacons for blind ambition.

Blind runner Marla Runyon proved you don’t have to see the tape in order to break it. But until she made the US Olympic team in 2000, blind running had no season, no community.

It’s starting to now, with the help of these events, which, in addition to competition, provide the blind and visually impaired accessible recreation options such as jogging and walking.

Boston Marathon (Hopkinton, Mass.)

The Boston Marathon, which takes place in April, is the most renowned road race in the world, and the only marathon with a Visually Handicapped division. The qualifying time is 5 hours. Runners should bring their own guides, though the Boston Athletic Association will try to provide them, if needed. The Massachusetts Association of the Blind (MAB) also extends race numbers to runners and guides who meet fundraising goals. Crystal bowls go to the top three finishers.

Vision 5K (Boston, Mass.)

The Vision 5K is the United States Association of Blind Athletes’ (USABA) national 5K-road race championship for blind and visually impaired runners. It’s a fast double loop through Back Bay, the flatness usually nullified by June heat and humidity. Each male and female winner gets $1,500; finishers 2-5 also win prize money. The race draws elite blind runners from France, Kenya, Mexico, and the United States. Another signature element is the many sighted runners and CEOs who take the “blindfold challenge,” and experience running a 5K with a sighted guide. The event began in 2007, broadening the former Team With a Vision 5K, launched in 2001.

Stampede for VIPS (Louisville, Ken.)

Another 5K offering prize money and attracting elite blind and visually impaired runners is the Stampede for VIPS (Visually Impaired Preschool Services) in Louisville, Kentucky. The sixth annual race takes place September 6th, 2008 at the Waterfront Plaza at 9:00 PM. Besides its night start, the Stampede features a unique out-and-back course under the lights of the mile-long Second Street Bridge (separating Louisville from Jeffersonville, Ind.). The race features individual age group categories from 1 to 26, and a division for parents of visually impaired children. Contact Heather Benson at VIPS at 502.636.3207 for details. The Stampede’s race director is Bellarmine University and USABA track coach Jim Vargo, who can be reached at 502.452.8042.

USABA Track & Field Team (Colorado Springs, Col.)

Another vital resource is the USABA, which offers sports camps, clinics, and competitions for runners and track and field seeking to develop their talents with an eye towards the Paralympics. The 2008 USABA Emerging Athlete Training Camp takes place July 22-24 in Colorado Springs. The US Paralympic High Performance Training Plan, complete national track and road race records, and schedules for regional camps are available on the USABA website. Contact Jim Vargo (502.452.8042) for more information.

Print This Page Print This Page

About the Author

author_pic
Andrew Leibs is a chronicler of the Disability Movement with particular interests in low-vision literacy, accessible recreation, and disability in culture.

Leibs provides online and in-person consulting services (including content strategy, media relations, and motivational presentations) for individuals and disability organizations.

He is the award-winning author of two books and over 2,800 articles and writes on disability issues for the information portal Suite101.com.  Leibs first book, A Field Guide for the Sight-Impaired Reader (Greenwood Press) was the first reference designed especially for students; his writings on blind literacy have appeared in Disability Studies Quarterly, Careers and the Disabled, and RFB&D Teacher’s Aide.

He’s written on accessible recreation for such publications as the Boston Globe, Dialogue, the Ragged Edge, and UniversalSports.com.  He’s the author of Sports and Games of the Renaissance and edits Greenwood’s Sports and Games Through History series.

Leibs is an authority on the genetic condition of albinism.  His essays have appeared in Albinism Insight, Kaleidoscope, and the San Francisco Examiner.  In 1997, he wrote a declaration on albinism’s cultural misuses for a landmark defamation lawsuit against DC Comics.

Leibs awards include a New England Press Association feature-writing award, being named 1997 NSSA New Hampshire Sportswriter of the Year (for the New Hampshire Union Leader), and six Suite101.com Editor’s Choice awards.  He holds a BA in English from St. John’s University and an MA in writing from the University of New Hampshire.