London Marathon 2022: Sports retailers New Balance and Wiggles to introduce braille banners this year

Around 40,000 runners are gearing up to participate in the 2022 TCS London marathon and  among those running the 26.2 mile course, many are visually impaired

In a big step for inclusion, sports retailers Wiggle and New Balance have teamed up with the Royal Society for Blind Children (RSBC) to bring first-of-their-kind braille banners of support to the world-famous event.

But, this year, messages of encouragement will line Miles 20 and 23 of the marathon course in braille form, so visually  impaired runners can  fully feel the support of the spectators.

The positioning of the banners is methodical as  mile 20 and 23 are regarded as the hardest parts of the course, where runners may start to tire out. With the banners located where they are, it’s hoped it will give the runners that extra push they may need.

Huw Crwys-Williams, CEO at Wiggle said “At Wiggle we’re inspired by the everyday athletes and go-getters of the world - we’re simply here to fuel them.

“By partnering with New Balance and our extraordinary charity partner RSBC, we hope to create a special moment for vision impaired runners taking on this amazing challenge.”

Samantha Matthews, Senior Marketing Manager UK & Ireland at New Balance said “Our goal at New Balance is to help others achieve theirs. We aim to help all athletes and communities tackle their pursuits with confidence - and go the distance with them.

“Everyone should feel included on race day and that’s why we’re excited to support the visually impaired runners of this year’s TCS London Marathon, by providing accessible motivation and support through the toughest miles of the race.”

Shalni Sood, Director Of Philanthropy at The Royal Society of Blind Children said “We were delighted to partner with New Balance and Wiggle to represent and inspire vision impaired runners at this year’s marathon.

“It’s great to see a more inclusive and welcoming approach - the banners are a great example of this! We would love to encourage more organisations in the sports industry to actively support the participation of vision impaired people. We hope to see more of the same in future!”