Going the Extra Mile in the Fight for Sight

A Bristol man will go the extra mile on 27 August as he takes on the South Coast Challenge, a 100km ultra marathon, to raise funds for the UK’s main eye research charity Fight for Sight.

The race, which winds across the Southern coast of England, will take Dan Blythe and other participants through 100km of scenic coastal views.

Dan, 36, was diagnosed with keratoconus in 1994 and is now partially sighted with blurred and distorted vision. He said: “As this is such a personal issue for me, and because I like to challenge myself I have decided to go for an extreme challenge and test my limits.”

Despite having had several surgeries to improve his sight, Dan is still required to wear specially made contact lenses, and suffers from very poor vision. He aims to finish the challenge during daytime hours, as his condition makes it hard for him to see at night.

Dan says he would like to raise as much money doing this challenge as possible for Fight for Sight. “Fight for Sight funds the majority of research into eye conditions in the UK and research is vitally important if the treatment of keratoconus and other eye conditions is going to improve,” he states.

Dan is a full time martial arts teacher and spends his days teaching and training students at the club he runs in Bristol, called GB Fit. He has never run a marathon before, or even a half marathon but because of his high fitness levels he is attempting to run the distance in 12 hours.

He also added, “I want to show my students and anybody else that if you set ambitious goals and train properly then you can achieve pretty much anything you want to do. Despite my failing sight I’m determined to cross the finish line.”

“This is without a doubt going to be the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. Please sponsor me because I'm really going to earn it!” says Dan.

To help support Dan in his challenge please donate here