CNN
6th January 2023
This visually impaired man traveled to Japan to run 1,400 miles in 40 days – and wants to tackle South Korea next
By Andrew McNicol
When Gary Leung lost complete vision in his eyes nearly 25 years ago, it broke him.
The Hong Kong native spiraled into depression – even contemplating suicide – because he thought facing “rock bottom” would be a daily battle. Then he found long-distance running.
Now in his 50s, Leung has since completed the 100-kilometer (62-mile) Antarctic Ice Marathon, becoming the first blind person to do so; the 400km ‘Ultra Gobi’, considered among the toughest foot-races in the world; and is fresh off a 2,300km charity run from Japan’s southern city of Kagoshima on Kyushu Island up to northern Aomori on the country’s main island, Honshu. The Japanese “Dark Run 2023” was segmented into 40 days, meaning Leung and his interchanging guide runners – connected by a string attachment – ran an average of more than 50km per day.