A VISUALLY-IMPAIRED runner was among thousands who took part in the London Marathon.
Tom Briggs, 26, was tethered to Amy Bradley from Jog Alfreton for the race and ran for the Royal National Institute of Blind People.
He completed the marathon in just over five hours and six minutes.
Tom, of Ripley, runs with Ripley Running Club and Jog Alfreton and said running in a crowd is difficult.
He said: "My vision isn't too bad close up. I can see what's in front of me to a degree but there's a lot I can't make out – like steps. It is more difficult to see people and objects at a distance.
"That makes crowd situations like busy bank holidays difficult because I don't see other people until I'm up close."
He said it was difficult being between sighted and blind.
"People often don't know what to do or say," he added.
"If we go on a route that's familiar, I find it a lot easier. When it's nice and flat I'm fine but when there are obstacles I need some guidance.
"Everyone's very friendly and as people get to know you, they become much more confident in offering support.
"If they don't know you, then they wonder what to do. It's a difficult thing to approach sometimes."
Tom is registered blind and will soon be getting a guide dog.
Amy, 31, of South Normanton, said Tom's partial sight has never been a barrier.
She said: "Tom's really confident and he just gets on with day-to-day life like a sighted person.
"In fact, you wouldn't even know he was blind. So it's been difficult for me to learn how to give him enough guidance without being offensive or patronising him.
"The crowds do slow him down. When things appear from the side or there's an obstacle like a wall or wheely bin sticking out, that is difficult."
Tom, who works as an equality development officer for Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, said he never set out to be a marathon runner.
He said: "I started with trying to jog about half a mile and thought, 'If I can manage that, I can go a bit further'.
"But I was still struggling so I invested in a few sessions with a personal trainer. It was quite expensive but very beneficial."
Tom said he likes to pace himself for big races.
He said: "When I'm running a race, I like to set myself markers – like to overtake people but it will be someone who is quite close to me who I can see.
"I run with a Garmin watch and download the data after a run but I can't see the watch face during a run so I can't pace myself. Amy's taught me that it's much better to keep a constant pace."
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