London Marathon 2025 - Thank you

A huge congratulations to everyone who ran in the London Marathon for us this year. The 26.2-mile course was braved and completed by 38 supporters and four of our blind veterans and their guides.

If you're inspired by their stories, don't forget that applications are open for next year.

Blind veteran Andy

Definitely no stranger to the London Marathon, 50-year-old Andy ran his tenth marathon this year. 

Andy says:

“This year was hot and it was a struggle from start to finish but number ten is in the bag! My guide Wayne and I were very proud to once again put on our Blind Veteran UK T-shirts and highlight the charity as we ran through the streets of London."

Andy joined the Army in 1992 and spent 19 years with the Royal Logistics Corps. It was at the age of 37 that retinitis pigmentosa caused a gradual decline in his sight and forced him to retire early from the Army. 

In 2011, Andy discovered our charity and we’ve supported him ever since. He says:

“The charity has invested a lot of time over the years to help me rebuild my life when I’d lost all hope.

“When I first came to the charity, I was feeling sorry for myself, but they made me realise what was possible and gave me the confidence to start doing physical activities again and get back to work."

Blind veteran Steven

Steven, 46, ran his first London Marathon in 2022 and wasn’t completely put off as this year he returned to run again with his sister by his side as his guide. 

Steven says:

“It was an honour to run for the charity although it was tough. My sister got a hip injury at around mile 11 but she soldiered through until the last five miles when she had to give in and we did a mixture of walking and running for the final part of the course. We crossed the line in five hours and 38 minutes."

Steven joined the Army at the age of 17 and served with the 1st Battalion King’s Regiment for six years.

Around ten years ago he started to get flashes and dark spots in his eyes. He found he had burst blood vessels in his central vision and was registered blind eight years ago. Steve describes his outer vision as perfect, but his central vision has all gone. He says:

“The charity has helped me in a lot of ways including training with IT, magnifying equipment and being introduced to exercise weeks which put me on a step by step plan to running a marathon.”

Steve isn’t putting his running shoes back in the cupboard just yet as on May 18 he’s also taking on the Great Manchester Run alongside his partner Janine. 

Ben

Ben, 32, had originally signed up to take part in the London Marathon in 2024 to motivate himself to improve both his physical and mental health while raising money for us as a thank you for the support we gave his great grandad after he lost his sight.

A foot injury forced Ben to withdraw from the event last year, but he was able to defer his place to this year. He says:

“We lost my great grandad in June last year; my emotions were very high when I crossed the finish line. He may no longer physically be here but I know he was with me as I tackled every single inch of the course. I wore my great grandad’s Blind Veteran’s UK tie and his photograph on my T-shirt."

“This was one of the biggest things I’ve ever attempted but I was so driven to get across the line. I had to push through barriers I didn’t think would be possible. With a lot of determination and the constant reminders with me of my great grandad who was the reason I wanted to take on the challenge, I managed to complete the marathon in eight hours and 17 minutes.
 
“When I first decided to sign up for this just the thought of stepping inside a gym scared me. I could barely walk up the stairs at that point so this is a huge achievement. Along the way I met one of the charity’s blind veterans who was running with his guide. They took the time to say thank you and shook my hand helping me carry on which was really special.”

Ben’s great grandad served in the RAF between 1947 and 1955. He lost his sight due to glaucoma. Ben says:

“Blind Veterans UK gave my great grandad more freedom after he lost his sight, they helped him greatly to be able to continue to access his computer which for him was his independence."

Ben says:

“I’m so grateful to have had this opportunity and to have been allowed to represent Blind Veterans UK. I know I have helped other families like mine, to give their loved ones back their independence and freedom after sight loss.” 

Ettie

Ettie, 38, ran her first ever long distance run to mark the 100th birthday of her grandma who served in the Second World War.  

Ettie’s grandma joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service when she left school and was posted to Italy during the Second World War serving in Naples as part of the Army Broadcasting Service. 
 
She learned Morse Code and sent messages to the UK which were then decoded at Bletchley Park. 

Ettie spoke to her grandma the night before the marathon. She says:

“Grandma wished me luck and said she’d be watching on the TV. I’m hoping to visit her soon and will take my medal to show her.

“I had lots of support with me on the day, my family cheered me on at Grenwich, Canary Wharf and then at the finish line. The atmosphere on the day was incredible, you couldn’t hear yourself think for the noise of the crowd. There were people handing out oranges or sweets and it really gave me a boost on the way round.

“It’s a huge achievement, the last 10km were really hard especially with the heat and there was a moment when I thought I wouldn’t be able to do this but I made it round in four hours and 48 minutes."

We’ve supported Ettie’s grandma since she was diagnosed with age related macular degeneration. Ettie says:

“Grandma has a support worker who visits her and sees what equipment they can provide to help her such as an audio book player, a kettle which measures out the correct amount of water for a cup of tea and a special device which magnifies documents and allows granda to read them.  
 
“The charity also organises events grandma can attend like lunches with other blind veterans in her local area and someone is always available on the phone if she needs anything. I hope my fundraising allows more veterans like my grandma receive the charity’s life changing support.” 

Taking on and conquering the London Marathon is a huge achievement and we are incredibly grateful to all of those who chose to raise money and awareness for our charity in 2025.