Visually impaired runner to compete in Vancouver Island Mother’s Day 10K
Published 6:30 pm Saturday, May 9, 2026
Richard Harlow is virtually blind.
He lost 90 per cent of his ability to see due to a rare disease known as Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy, which affects somewhere between one in 30,000 to one in 50,000 people in Canada.
It left him with only peripheral vision, which he uses to get around.
“I can’t see faces or read signs. I can’t even see past a few feet in front of me because of all my central vision being gone,” said Harlow.
Harlow still doesn’t consider it a major impediment. The 37-year-old has learned to cope by sharpening his sense of hearing and touch. These have helped him engage in a variety of activities many people would find challenging without eyesight. This includes running.
Harlow already showed his ability to overcome when he competed in the Bastion 12K run earlier this year without a sighted companion. To aid him, Harlow uses a modified walking stick with a small wheel attached to the end. It has helped increase his mobility.
His next goal is to compete at the Oceanside Mother’s Day 10K run on Sunday in Qualicum Beach.
“I virtually listen to my surroundings when I run,” said Harlow. “I listen to where the people are moving, listening to the people in front of me, listening to people behind to understand where the flow of the people.”
The six-foot carbon-fibre walking stick, which has a wheel at the end, allows him to run with confidence.
“It gives me a better understanding of the path in front of me,” Harlow explained. “I can sense when the lifts go down, so I can prepare my body for that slight change in terrain elevation. Otherwise it’s a lot harder on my joints.”
Harlow’s goal in doing this is to motivate other visually impaired people to achieve more.
“I want to help increase awareness for blind abilities,” said Harlow, noting unemployment rates remain far too high for blind people.
Harlow, who is an artist and a model, serves on the City of Nanaimo’s Accessibility and Inclusion Committee. He also practices Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
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