A blind marathon runner has tied the knot with her guide after falling in love during the seven years he accompanied her on Parkrun.
Kelly Barton, from Southport, Merseyside, met Mike Leatherbarrow in 2016 when he put her through a Saturday morning 5k race.
The couple remained faithful to each other over the years, with Kelly expressing in an interview with Kelly that they “fell madly in love over the miles” The Telegraph.
Since then, the duo have competed in various running events ranging from 5k Parkruns to half marathons and full marathons.
‘Seven years ago I met a great guy. Me, a blind runner and he, my guide runner… and yesterday we became husband and wife!’ Kelly wrote in the social media announcement.
A blind runner has tied the knot with her guide after seven years together at Parkruns
Kelly told the publication that she didn’t take sports seriously until she reached the age of 40.
That’s when she decided to try a parkrun on the advice of her GP. Interestingly enough, her GP was a newly trained guide runner and introduced her to Mike.
Kelly quickly became fascinated with running and was surprised by how much she enjoyed it.
Describing the cheerful atmosphere of a Parkrun, she highlighted how her guide runner not only warns her of sharp turns, but also describes any eccentric costumes along the course.
“I immediately loved it: the people, the community, the encouragement you get,” Kelly explained.
“It’s nice to run with the same person because you build trust naturally.”
The couple are so committed to parkrun that they deliberately planned their wedding for a Friday so they could take part in a running race the next day.
They also have plans to take part in a Remembrance Day run this weekend.
Kelly Barton, from Southport, Merseyside, met Mike Leatherbarrow in 2016 when he navigated her through a Parkrun
Since then, the duo have competed in various running events ranging from 5k Parkruns to half marathons and full marathons
The couple remained committed to each other over the years, with Kelly saying in an interview with The Telegraph that they “fell in love over the miles.”
Kelly decided to try a Parkrun on the advice of her GP. Interestingly enough, her GP was a newly trained guide runner and introduced her to Mike
Kelly quickly got into running and was surprised by how much she enjoyed sharing the experience with Mike
“It’s great to run with the same person because you build trust naturally,” Kelly said
Describing the cheerful atmosphere of a Parkrun, Kelly highlighted how her guide runner not only warns her of sharp turns, but also describes any eccentric costumes along the course
Kelly introduced herself with a London Marathon medal, with #WeRunTogether in both text and braille
The couple are so committed to parkrun that they deliberately planned their wedding for a Friday so they could take part in a running race the next day.
Over the years, Kelly’s pace has improved significantly and she now averages 22 and a half minutes on the 5K route.
Meanwhile, Mike, who has run all six major world marathons, recently finished in Tokyo this year in three hours and 17 minutes.
He expressed his surprise at how Kelly, without knowing him, ventured outside the safety of her comfort zone to run with him.
Mike took on the role of guide runner after volunteering at the London 2012 Paralympic Games. He had been taking part in parkrun at Southport’s Hesketh Park for seven months before meeting Kelly.
He emphasized the importance of building a trusting relationship between a guide and a visually impaired runner.
Kelly, a sight loss advocate and manager at the Thomas Pocklington Trust, a national charity supporting the blind and partially sighted, has been blind since birth.
In 2020, she took part in the ‘virtual’ London Marathon amid the pandemic, with the aim of raising money for the Salvation Army.
She then said she was ready to take on the challenge.