Blind runner and Braille artist Clarke Reynolds has achieved a world first with Be My Eyes volunteers taking turns to join him remotely, cheering him on as he completed the Brighton Marathon’s 26.2 mile course on Sunday in just under six hours, 20 minutes for Fight for Sight.
Clarke, known professionally as Mr Dot, ran the iconic Brighton route supported by volunteers who viewed his route through his Meta smart glasses and Be My Eyes app.
The artist and children’s author has only 5% vision and took on the remarkable challenge to raise funds for charity Fight for Sight, the charity for which he is an ambassador. Among those sponsoring Clarke, was TV presenter Victoria Coren-Mitchell.
Clarke has the inherited condition Retinitis Pigmentosa and describes his vision as “like looking underwater”.
So, how does it work?
Be My Eyes, is an app which connects people who are blind or have low vision with volunteers worldwide through live video and artificial intelligence.
Clarke, 45, was wearing Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer smart glasses connected to Be My Eyes.
A succession of pre-selected volunteers were able to see what was in front of Clarke, through the glasses (from Clarke’s perspective) via the Be My Eyes app on their smart device or laptop and joined his run remotely in real-time, supporting and encouraging every step of the way along the 26.2-mile marathon route through the City.
Clarke was running to fundraise for Fight for Sight
Clarke is an experienced runner and had previously completed the London Marathon with a guide. As a backup safety precaution for this groundbreaking challenge, a trained guide runner, Alastair Ratcliffe, provided by The Richard Whitehead Foundation through their Supported Runner Project, ran alongside Clarke so he could be on hand if Clarke had any difficulties.
Clarke says: “We did it! I’m absolutely over the moon! I am now the first blind person to run a full marathon while being supported by volunteers using smart glasses and Be My Eyes.
My aim in doing this was to really push the boundaries of what this technology can do for me as a blind person and I’ve done that!
“I love making the connection with people, telling them about why I’m running, and about Fight for Sight’s work. They are always really interested and love being part of something so out of the ordinary. We chat as I run.”
“I was free to safely put the tech to test in this very unusual way by having a back-up guide runner running alongside me all the way, in case of any problems, so I’d like to say a massive thank you to the brilliant Alastair who did that for me! As well as all the amazing volunteers who supported me and cheered me on through the Be My Eyes app today and throughout my training. They’ve really kept me going on this incredible journey. It’s been one of the best experiences of my life!
“The potential of this technology for people with sight loss is incredible! It’s opening up a whole world of opportunity, and more and more people are using it in their everyday lives, there’s so much to be hopeful about!
“By running a marathon and using the tech in a way that hasn’t been done before, I’ve raised awareness and sparked so many conversations which I hope will help to challenged society’s ideas about what blind people can do.”
Thanks to Be My Eyes Groups, Clarke was able to connect directly with a pre-selected team of trusted volunteers throughout the marathon. While Be My Eyes typically connects blind and low-vision users with volunteers from anywhere in the world, Be My Eyes Groups, an in-app feature that allows users to create private, dedicated volunteer circles, has recently been made available on Meta AI glasses. For the marathon, Clarke’s volunteers were carefully selected and briefed in advance, ensuring he could always reach familiar, prepared supporters when he needed assistance.
Although Clarke was able to use the tech for almost all of the route, there were a few moments where connectivity was lost due to broadband width caused by the sheer volume of people at the event. Clarke was completely safe and unfazed as he had back up running guide Alastair by his side.
Presenting Clarke with his medal at the finish line was Be My Eyes volunteer, Julie Sutton. Clarke in turn presented the medal to back up guide runner Alastair.
Powered on by volunteers worldwide throughout his training and the big day run
In the weeks leading up to the Brighton Marathon, Clarke was pounding the streets, training every day using Be My Eyes. Including the weeks of training and the day of the marathon, he has been supported by around 150 individual volunteers through the app, from around the world.
Describing his experience using the app to train for the Marathon, Clarke explained: “I have 10 seconds to say ‘Hi I’m Clarke, I’m training to run a marathon. They see me. They’re expecting me to ask where is the soup? Or help me to a shop.
So, they are pretty blown away when I say I’m training for the Brighton Marathon! Some have even offered to sponsor me!
I love the idea that up to 300 people from all over the world – from Croydon to Kansas and Belfast to Bahrain - will have helped me to achieve it.”
Raising funds and awareness of vision loss
For Clarke, who became an ambassador for Fight for Sight in 2024, the challenge is not just about raising vital funds for Fight for Sight’s pioneering research. It is also a way for him to inspire and encourage other people with vision loss.
Fight for Sight’s Director of Impact and External Affairs, Eleanor Southwood MBE, says: "We are so proud of Clarke! What he has achieved is extraordinary. We are so grateful to him for his support and to everyone who has so generously sponsored him, raising over £2,700 for Fight for Sight!"
It’s not too late to sponsor Clarke and make a difference to the lives of people with sight loss, please show your support by donating.
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