The Goodgym guide runners were out in force this Thursday, joining the wonderful Achilles International UK community for a group run in Stratford Olympic Park.

Many of our athletes were opting for recovery runs after some PB attempts at the Battersea Chase the Sun races the night before (congratulations to Imran Khan and Chris Blackabee for excellent times!). The weather was absolutely perform for laps of the West Ham Stadium concourse and longer runs along the Lea Valley navigation and Waterden Park.

A special shout out to bag watch regular and guide dog walking expert Kim for celebrating her 100th Goodgym deed this evening, and bringing delicious home baked vegan brownies to share. Well done!

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Next Achilles International UK session

Thursday 23rd October, 6pm Maida Vale Underground (heading to Paddington Rec Track)

https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/come-and-guide-run-with-achilles-international-paddington-rec-track-66e4c4cb-2d0d-4eb8-8f02-20ef5f999096

We had a bumper turn out for guide runners, VI athletes and guide dogs for our final Achilles International session in Hyde Park for 2025. We were treated to beautiful sunshine and excellent running conditions. Welcome to our new guides and runners too!

We will be at Stratford Olympic Park for our next group run session with Achilles International on Thursday 28th September:

https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/come-and-guide-run-with-achilles-international-olympic-park-stratford-route-f1e7bda3-ccf3-4506-96bc-b1d6c90cdf61?legacy=true

The workshop with Achilles International was a powerful and eye-opening experience (literally!). We were blindfolded to simulate what it’s like to run without sight, which really helped us understand the level of trust and communication needed between a guide and a visually impaired runner.

We then took turns guiding and being guided during short runs, learning the ropes—quite literally! The team also walked us through different types of visual impairments and how to tailor our support depending on the individual's needs.

It was informative, inspiring, and left all of us with a deeper appreciation for accessible running and the strength of the Achilles community. Huge thanks to the organisers and participants!

Last night, the London chapter of the Achilles International crew hosted their weekly group run in Hyde Park for the first time. The members of the all-abilities guide running charity met at Lancaster Gate station, before we all made our way over the Italian Gardens to establish a bag drop location. 6 visually impaired runners (Andrew, Andy, Mark N, Yahya, Naqi and Brendan) and many guides (including first time Goodgym participant Olivia- welcome!) enjoyed some excellent laps of the Royal Park on a very warm evening. A successful session, thanks to the efforts of all of our volunteers.

Join us at Stratford Olympic Park next week!

https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/come-and-guide-run-with-achilles-international-olympic-park-stratford-route-0ff3f6ac-768b-458e-ab8e-d6cd6053878e

The first ever Runthrough Relay event was hosted on Thursday evening in Stratford Olympic Park, and the team from Achilles International were thrilled to participate! Our VI (visually impaired) runners and sighted guides made up 4 teams of 3 runners each, ready to run a baton around 5km of the West Ham Stadium, City Mill River Path and across the Iron Bridge. 134 teams from all across London were lined up ready to run from the Pool Street Market- an incredible atmosphere on the night!

Behind the scenes, volunteer coordinators Simon Fitzmaurice, Chris Blackabee and Mark Durban had spent a few weeks of organising and messaging to make sure that every VI runner had a guide, and that everyone knew where to meet and when to run. It was amazing to see a plan come together, and all of our Achilles International crew were able to cheer and celebrate each others achievements.

Well done to everyone running, guiding, dog minding (Mario and Spike!), coordinating and cheering from the side lines. Thank you for a wonderful evening of running!

On a glorious May Day evening, the crew from the UK chapter of Achilles International (an all abilities guide running charity) met up for a smashing run around Green Park.

This week, we were joined by a collection of London Marathon running heroes (Mark Colby and Andrew Jones ran exceptionally well considering the heat). We also had the pleasure of joining Siri, the daughter of UK chapter founder, Chris Blackabee for her birthday celebrations. A wonderful evening of celebrations for all involved!

Next week, we will be meeting at Stratford Underground station for top running fun in the Olympic Park.

Sign up here to get involved: https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/come-and-guide-run-with-achilles-international-olympic-park-stratford-route-6575e329-1470-4a07-959a-abcd36058c26