Blind man's joy after running marathon unaided
Yahya Pandor said his guide described the course as they ran together
- Published
A blind man who ran a marathon without being tethered to a guide after refusing to let his sight loss hold him back has said he feels "very, very proud".
Yahya Pandor, from Swindon, completed the Manchester Marathon after losing his sight during the pandemic.
Organisers said he was believed to be the first blind person in the world to run a 26.2 mile race (42km) without being attached to a guide.
The 28-year-old said he felt "fantastic" despite his post-race soreness.
The 28-year-old completed the race in his first marathon attempt
"I can’t even feel my legs, I am hobbling everywhere," he said.
Mr Pandor completed the course around Manchester in four hours and 22 minutes, alongside tens of thousands of other runners.
His first ever marathon attempt, he was aided by his guide George, who ran ahead of him to describe "every single step basically".
"If there was a left turn or right turn, he would say left turn in 50 meters, 5,4,3,2,1, or if there was uneven footing he would warn me to be careful," Mr Pandor continued.
The blind runner said his guide George had to go faster than him throughout
The runner, who runs a counselling service for those with mental health issues, said he had to put a "lot of trust" in his guide.
From then it was "just about concentrating, keeping in touch with his voice", he added.
"The crowds were amazing. People shouting your name, people cheering you on. It really keeps you going despite the physical difficulty of it all.
"What was nice was he was always describing what was around, so any interesting buildings or any interesting costumes he saw. It really made me feel a part of it despite not being able to see."
Yahya Pandor lost his side during the pandemic, aged 25
He said he wanted to take on the challenge after the "massive shock" of losing his sight gradually from macular degeneration.
"It was devastating, but I had to make a decision to either get on with life or not," he said.
And he said he has been taking on "challenge after challenge" ever since to prove that "it doesn't limit you".
He added: "Some days are really difficult, I wouldn’t wish it on anyone, but it’s given me a strength that maybe I would have never discovered."
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