He won't be able to see the finish line, but that hasn't stopped 51-year-old Randy Howard from training for the Tulsa Run.
"I lost my eyesight when I was three and a half," Randy said. He was born with Retinoblastoma but said he has never let his disability stop him from achieving his goals.
"Last year I walked the Tulsa 5k, this year I'm running it," Randy said.
That's where Mary Ann Knell comes into play. Mary Anne and Randy are friends, but she is also his running guide.
"I'm his eyes," Mary Ann said.
The two train at the Hillcrest Fitness Center track three times a week. The running partners have developed their own way to train for the Tulsa Run 5-K. Randy holds on to the inside of Mary Ann's left elbow and she guides him around the track.
"She stays about a step and half in front me," Randy said.
The training hasn't always been easy, but they are a team and have established a system that works for them.
"If she needs to turn, speed up, slow down or make slight adjustments I can sense that through her arm," said Randy.
Mary Ann leads on the track, but she says in a lot of ways her running buddy is leading her.
"He has not let this overcome him, his blindness," Mary Ann said, "There is not an excuse, you have to get out there and do it."
Mary Ann said they have the indoor track memorized, but she is a little concerned about changing the terrain and training outdoors. She said cracks, gravel and other runners will make running the race outdoors a little more challenging.
Randy said he isn't worried. He'll just put one foot in front of the other like he always does.
"I can do anything if I want to do it bad enough," Randy said.
He said he knows there will be shoulder, or an elbow there, if he needs it.
The Tulsa Run is scheduled for October 27th.
