A visually impaired athlete completed the La Valette Half Marathon on Sunday, aided by his 16-year-old guide. 

Jesper Mathiesen, who ran accompanied by his guide Tommy Wallbank, completed the race in two hours, three minutes and 37 seconds.  

"I was really happy to cross the finish line, especially as the last 5km was a big struggle for me," Jesper Mathiesen told Times of Malta. 

"It was a great feeling to finish the race. I was really happy because I had my doubts if I could finish on the last kilometres."

The 29-year-old Danish runner was born with a serious eye condition that left him with only five per cent of normal vision as a child, worsening as he got older. 

Despite this, Jesper caught the running bug, and took part in a number of road running races and half marathons throughout the years. 

In 2019, he even hiked up Africa’s tallest mountain peak, Mount Kilimanjaro.

He is the first known visually impaired athlete to take part in a Malta marathon race.

“There were a lot of mixed emotions when we crossed the line,” 16-year-old Wallbank told Times of Malta. 

“We were both extremely happy to have finished the race. Considering all of the training we have done together; we are so pleased with this result.”

Both young athletes are coached by ultra-triathlete Fabio Spiteri, also one of the organisers of the La Vallette Half Marathon. 

Tommy Wallbank and Jesper Mathiesen just a few moments away from the finish line in Vittoriosa. Photo: Tommy Wallbank/Facebook

The pair ran together on Sunday connected with a tether, or short rope.

A physical and mental challenge

The 21.1km race came with its challenges for both of them. 

"I felt quite good up until around 15km, but then there was a brutal uphill. We ran all the way up but afterward, I was completely exhausted and had to walk down in between on the last five."

Wallbank also recalled the grueling hill.

“At a point, we had to walk a bit, but we didn’t give up and kept on going, truly showing Jesper’s determination to not give up. There were also a couple of bumpy roads along the way, which mean at times we had to slow down for safety precautions," Wallbank said.

He said the challenges throughout the race made finishing even more satisfying for both of them. 

Wallbank is the youngest member of Team Fabio. Last year, he raised €10,000 for Puttinu Cares by completing a 1,000-kilometre run to commemorate his friend, Rebecca Zammit Lupi, who died in early 2021. 

Wallbank said Jesper was slightly disappointed for not finishing the race in under two hours, but he felt positive that better things are to come. 

"We were very close, and we know that the only way is forward, and we are looking forward to doing more races together."

"It's good I had Tommy to push me all the way to the finish line there, and all the positive support we got afterward is amazing when you think about it," Jesper said.

A photo of Jesper and Tommy running together drew praise on social media on Sunday. 

The picture captures the two of them running down Quarry Wharf hill in Valletta and was shared by one runner who was experiencing difficulty throughout the race. 

"As I was about to throw in the towel suffering from severe cramps, I see these two amazing people," Hilary Galea Lauri wrote. 

"From that moment on, I knew I will complete the race- whatever it took."