Blind man, 'born to run', completes solo 5K with trial app to guide him

Thomas Panek, a blind runner and CEO of Guiding Eyes for the Blind, gets ready for a 5K run in Central Park where he will use Google’s Guideline app instead of help from a human or guide dog, in New York, United States, Nov 19. — Dan Fastenberg/Reuters

NEW YORK: A blind man completed a 5km run in New York's Central Park without a guide dog or human help this week. His navigation aid? Artificial intelligence through headphones plugged into a smartphone.

"The safest thing for a blind man is to sit still. I ain't sitting still," said Thomas Panek, 50, who lost his vision in his early 20s due to a genetic condition and runs Guiding Eyes for the Blind, a guide dog school.