What, you may ask, is a ‘Marathon Sandwich’? Well, the idea was sparked by a discussion between Simon Wheatcroft, who is a blind runner and local charity the Sheffield Royal Society for the Blind (SRSB). Simon is taking part in the Sheffield Half Marathon in May for SRSB, but he has decided to add on a few more miles after the event has finished! The ‘Marathon Sandwich’ will involve him running a total of 52.4 miles which is the same distance as a half, a full and another half marathon - the halves are the bread and the full is the filling!

You may be thinking that this is a huge challenge, but it is merely training for Simon who is an ultramarathoner!

He is running with his guide runner Charlie and they are also being joined by another Simon (Simon Walker who is also an ultramarathon runner!) and several other supporters who are running varying distances from 20 miles to 1.3 mile lap of the park.

They are all doing the event to raise awareness about visual impairment and to raise funds for SRSB, and we are inviting members of the public to run (or walk) a lap or more with them in Endcliffe Park in the afternoon of Sunday 27th May from 12 – 5pm. There will be stalls and games outside Endcliffe Park Cafe, so come and join us for a fun day out.

Ashley Charlesworth, who runs Endcliffe Park Café is supporting the event and the cafe will be offering "NUFF chicken soup" on the day, (with more than enough chicken in) all proceeds to go to SRSB. This is the soup that Simon requested to help see him through his challenge. Also, local company Roses Bakers are planning to produce a special marathon sandwich to sell in the run up to the event with a percentage of sales going to SRSB.

Simon was first registered blind when he was 17 and he lost his vision through a genetic disorder, Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), which affects his peripheral vision, central vision, colour definition, light perception, causing night blindness and eventually total blindness. He has been determined to challenge himself and believes that his confidence has been improved by his running achievements. Simon says, “I wanted to push myself mentally and physically and thought that ultra distance would suit that nicely.

“While I never set out with the initial thought of inspiring others, as time has passed I have been contacted by a number of blind people who found my story inspirational. I hope now I can continue to inspire others to adapt and achieve any goal they believe they can.”