00:00Every Monday and Thursday night for the past few months,
00:06Lee Wenhong has been training for the Taipei Marathon,
00:09a major test for any runner in Taiwan.
00:12And it's an even bigger test for Lee, who is severely visually impaired.
00:16He has RP Retinopathy, which has caused his vision to get worse over the years.
00:21I feel some light and some people.
00:24I want to hear the sound.
00:27I don't know how to see the people.
00:30Given his limited vision,
00:32it would be dangerous for Lee to run in a crowded race like the Taipei Marathon.
00:36But he's not running alone.
00:38Lee will be accompanied by two guide runners, Wen Zheng and Xie Ziying,
00:42who will take turns keeping him safe on the busy roads.
00:45Holding on gently to his tether, they run in sync,
00:48matching cadence and pace around the track.
01:09But for Xie, keeping pace is just one challenge,
01:12on top of keeping an eye on the road for Lee.
01:15Xie had to push her limits to learn how to match Lee's stride and pace.
01:20We've been known for a long time.
01:21But because of the height of the range,
01:22I never played with him.
01:24I really didn't play very fast.
01:25The Taipei Marathon is a player to play speed.
01:27If you don't like me, I'll be able to play speed.
01:30If you don't like me, I'll be able to play speed.
01:31But if you want to play for yourself,
01:33you want to play for a man to play.
01:34I don't like it.
01:35Wen Zheng has decided to give me this opportunity.
01:39I want to try and try and try.
01:41So I'm very happy.
01:43Let's go.
01:47With their last practice over,
01:49it's time for race day.
01:58Just before dawn,
01:59tens of thousands of runners warm up outside Taipei City Hall.
02:02There are dozens of groups of visually impaired runners
02:05and their guides entering the race,
02:07wearing bright orange and yellow shirts
02:09to remind other runners to keep a safe distance.
02:11Lee is starting the race with Xie,
02:14trying to start at the front of their group to keep a better pace.
02:16The route takes runners past some of Taipei's most iconic locations,
02:33including Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and the Presidential Office.
02:37At the 10-kilometer mark of the full marathon course,
02:40volunteers have set up an aid station,
02:42bringing water, food and encouragement to runners.
02:46We will participate in all the areas of the city.
02:49We will participate in the competition.
02:51We will participate in the competition.
02:52We will participate in the competition.
02:53We will be very excited to meet our competition.
02:56When we help others,
02:58at the 20-kilometer mark,
03:03around halfway,
03:05Zheng warms up as he waits for Lee and Xie to arrive.
03:08He's ready to run with Lee for the second half of the race,
03:11preparing more supplements and hydration for him.
03:23Just on time,
03:24a little over two hours since they started,
03:26the pair arrive.
03:28A quick water break,
03:29and Lee is off again,
03:31this time with Zheng by his side.
03:37The second half of a marathon
03:38is the notorious breaking point for most amateur runners.
03:41It's hard to keep the pace after having run so far already.
03:45And while Zheng's legs are fresh,
03:47Lee is the only one in this team running the full marathon today.
03:51At the finish line,
03:56an MC congratulates all the visually impaired runners and their guides.
04:00The runners must cross the finish line first,
04:02with the guides close behind them.
04:04Spectators eagerly await their friends at the finish line,
04:07including Xie.
04:08At the halfway point,
04:09they seemed on track to meet Lee's goal of 4 hours 30 minutes.
04:17But the second half of the race is the harder half,
04:20and they come in just after the five-hour mark,
04:23which still beat his previous record for the marathon.
04:26it's for quite a long time for 8 hours later.
04:28the second half of the marathon is
04:47And it's that sense of improvement and challenge that keeps Lee and his guides going.
05:09The chance to test themselves at the next race, becoming better runners, guides and friends
05:15every step along the way.
05:18Klein Wang and Tiffany Wang in Taipei for Taiwan Plus.
