Thomas Panek, president and CEO of Guiding Eyes for the Blind, became the first visually impaired runner to complete a half marathon guided completely by dogs.

Three labs, Westley, Waffle, and his own guide dog Gus, made up the relay team that guided him through the New York City Half Marathon.

Three dogs and one visually impaired runner made history this weekend at the New York City Half Marathon: A trio of guide dogs led Thomas Panek, president and CEO of Guiding Eyes for the Blind, through the streets of NYC and across the finish line of the race.

Panek ran the NYC Half as the first-ever runner fully guided by trained guide dogs. The relay team of three dogs were trained by Guiding Eyes for the Blind Running Guides Program, a nonprofit organization which teaches the dogs to avoid obstacles and navigate a route at a comfortable pace, giving their athletes the freedom to run safely. Each dog ran about 120 miles over the course of three months in preparation.



“The most important reason [I did this run] is to encourage people to run, no matter what disability or ability level is, no matter what, health and wellness is important,” Panek told Runner’s World. “Running is a very productive and constructive way for us all to stay healthy and active.”

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Panek ran with three labs: Westley, Waffle, and his own guide dog, Gus. Westley started off the race and led for 5 miles, before Waffle took the middle leg. The pair stopped at mile 7 for water, and then again at mile 10, where Panek picked up Gus for the final 5K.

The rest was a run in the park. Gus was familiar with the Central Park loop, and knew just how to navigate the end of the race.

“I could feel [Gus] going left and right, could feel him weaving and getting around people at the end of the race,” Panek said. “I didn’t know if I crossed the finish line, so I sort of kept going through the chute.”



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Panek finished with an official time of 2:20:51. The average pace for Westley’s miles was 8:30, Waffle’s was 8:00, and Gus’s was 9:00. (The splits did not include stops on the way, like time he spent during each transition period chatting with the crowd and getting the dogs ready to go).

Though Panek, who lost his sight in his early 20s to retinitis pigmentosa—a genetic condition that causes the breakdown of cells in the retina—has run many major marathons including Boston, New York, and Chicago with human guides, this is the first time he’s only been guided by dogs.

In fact, it was the first time any guide dog that has been formally trained to run in a guide program has been a registered participant in a race, according to Guiding Eyes. Panek, who felt comfortable being led by the dogs during the race, hopes to pave the way for other athletes to do the same.

“I think the point of doing this is to say there are no excuses,” Panek said. “Your excuse is not going to be good anymore, if I can run 13.1 miles through the streets of NYC blind, your excuse isn’t going to be good enough.”

The NYC Half also marks the final race for 7-year-old Gus, who will retire as Panek’s guide dog. During their training, Panek bonded with Wesley, who is 2, so much that he will take him on as Gus’s replacement. As for Waffle, who is also 2, Panek wants to ensure she goes to a person who loves to run and that won’t hold her back.

“The best thing you can do is if you have a dog, get out there and go for a run for them, Panek said. “Go to the vet to get it checked out, make sure they’re run-ready, and then don’t leave the dog at home.”

Jordan Smith Digital Editor Her love of all things outdoors came from growing up in the Black Hills of South Dakota, and her passion for running was sparked by local elementary school cross-country meets.

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