Blind Israeli runner Avi Solomon completes London Marathon, gracious for accomplishment, looks ahead to Paralympic Games
By JERUSALEM POST SPORTS STAFFBLIND ISRAELI runner Avi Solomon (center) poses with his sighted guide Ariel Goldsmith (left) and coach Daniel Ishta (right) after completing the London Marathon on Sunday. (photo credit: Courtesy)
Israel runner Avi Solomon completed his first full marathon – the prestigious London Marathon – in three hours and seven minutes on a windy English Sunday morning.Solomon, who is completely blind, was guided by Lior Berhano until the halfway mark of the 42.2-kilometer race and by Goldsmith from there until the end.The 36-year-old father of six from Ramat Beit Shemesh was cheered on by hundreds of thousands of people lined up along the course, braving the winds and rain, cheering "Go Solomon!" and chanting "Israel! Israel!" as he ran by."I’m extremely happy and grateful for finishing the London marathon," Solomon told The Jerusalem Post. "It was an unbelievable experience which was made possible by Israel’s Paralympic Committee, the Afikim Family Enrichment Association and so many good people... a lot of hard work and good will by all involved, especially our team and our families."With his guides, Solomon had run the Tel Aviv half-marathon in 1h26m, a qualifying time for participation in London, and he now hopes to parlay his latest experience there into a trip to the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo.For more information, and to support Avi’s journey, please visit www.runwithavi.com
