Who Is Thomas Panek? Blind Runner Makes History After NYC Race

Runner Thomas Panek made history over the weekend, after becoming the first blind person to run in the United Airlines New York City Half Marathon without a human guide. Instead, he ran with three Labrador retrievers, who each took turns as he completed the 13.1-mile race.

Panek, 48, is the president and CEO of Guiding Eyes for the Blind, a charity that trains guide dogs for the visually impaired and is based in Westchester County, New York. He trained with the dogs who helped guide him, Westley, Waffle, and Gus for months.

“It's a little emotional for me because he's been there with me the whole time," Panek said after crossing the finish line under two and a half hours in Central Park with Gus, reports Insider.

In his early 20s, Panek lost his ability to see but did not let that hinder his passion for running, though he only did it with other people and not by himself. “When I lost my sight I was too scared to run,” he previously told CBS. But after embracing his disability, he started to do it once again alongside others before training with dogs.

“Although many people run with running clubs, at the end of the day you're running your own race,” he said. “And when you're tied to another person, it's no longer your race. The independence isn't quite there.” This prompted the start of Panek's charity.