Blind Ironman World Record holder and Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, Haseeb Ahmad, was running the Therme Manchester Marathon on 10^th October 2021 when his guide runner had to drop out of the race at 18 miles.

Haseeb then turned to the next random runner – Stuart Whitehouse from Leeds – and asked him to take over. Stuart guided him for the remaining distance and they completed the marathon, crossing the finishing line together.

Haseeb said:

“The mark of success is not to give up. When I thought my race was over after 18 miles…and my guide could not continue, I just reached out to a complete stranger who agreed to take me to the end of the race and that goes for life generally… The ability not to give up.”

Stuart Whitehouse said: “I was really struggling at the point when Haseeb asked for help but it really gave me some inner strength. It happened for a reason and I’ve made such a great friend.”

Haseeb ran both the London Marathon and Therme Manchester Marathon over consecutive weekends to help his Trust’s service which looks after people with Huntington’s disease to keep their specially adapted vehicle on the road aiding service users to get around and experience days out.

Despite losing his sight from the age of ten and being completely blind by age 17, Haseeb is a former Great Britain ParaTriathlete, winning several medals for the triathlon. He became the world’s fastest blind iron man in 2016. Haseeb was also recently named as one of the most influential disabled people in the UK, appearing on the Shaw Trust Disability Power 100 list.