Visually impaired runners in London are leveraging AI-powered smart glasses to support their marathon training and everyday activities. Tilly Dowler, who has Stargardt disease and approximately 10% useful vision, began running last year with a couch-to-5K program and is now preparing for the London Marathon. She uses Oakley Meta Vanguard smart glasses, which provide live audio cues about landmarks and distance traveled.
“They are AI assisted,” Dowler said. “While running, I can ask for live cues, such as what landmarks are around me and how far I have run.” The glasses allow her to combine audio feedback with guidance from her boyfriend, who serves as her guide runner. “I can put my music on but still be able to listen to my guide runner,” she added. Her goal is to inspire others with sight loss or facing difficult challenges.
The technology is also used by Sha Khan, who lost approximately 90% of his vision in 2021 due to retinitis pigmentosa and Stargardt disease. He considers the glasses essential: “It’s like literally a part of me now. If I step out the front door, I wouldn’t do that without my glasses on.” Khan also relies on his guide dog, Moby, and appreciates the hands-free nature of the glasses, which allows him to focus on Moby without handling a phone. During training, he uses voice commands to interact with the glasses, such as saying “hey Meta take a picture” to capture landmarks.
Smart glasses feature a front-facing camera that captures visual input, which AI analyzes and converts into audio delivered through built-in speakers. Chris Lewis, a visually impaired technology analyst who has used smart glasses while skiing, said the system provides an additional layer of awareness. “The AI is taking the images coming in, analyzing it and giving you the information about what’s in front of you, what might be moving and what might be changing,” he explained. However, he noted that marathons can challenge reliability due to network congestion affecting signal strength.
Guide Dogs UK, a charity supporting people with vision loss, emphasizes that technology should complement existing support systems. Tommy Dean, a technology specialist at the charity, said: “These glasses can really support and enhance somebody’s independence but they’re not there to be relied upon or replace core independent skills.” He stressed that guide dogs, mobility training, and human support remain essential, especially in complex environments.
Ben Hatton, an analyst at CCS Insight, highlighted reliability as a key challenge: “If you’re going to allow visually impaired people to walk down the street or cross busy roads with the technology then it has to be perfectly reliable every single time.” Factors such as accuracy, connectivity, and cost will determine how widely the technology is adopted. Despite these limitations, experts believe AI advances are enabling mainstream devices to play a growing role in accessibility. More than 59,000 runners are expected to participate in the London Marathon on Sunday, following a 26.2-mile route from Greenwich to Buckingham Palace.
