A volunteer running group in Taiyuan uses bright orange guide ropes to support blind runners, building confidence, inclusion and community through weekly training.
On the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, a soft morning fog settled over Taiyuan in north China’s Shanxi Province. Yet inside Heping Park, a bright orange group stood out as dozens of runners gathered for their weekly session. Among them was 56-year-old Li Wencai, who has been coming here almost every week since the city formed its running group for people with visual impairments.
Li lost his sight due to congenital microphthalmia at age 12. At first, he struggled to even walk with confidence. But he kept showing up. “Back then, 100 meters felt impossible,” he said. “Now I can finish 10 kilometres. I owe this to the guide runners who stay by my side every step.”
A Growing Community of Runners
Standing next to Li was Zou Yajuan, a volunteer guide runner from Taiyuan’s “Dark Runners” team. Her job is to act as the runner’s eyes. “Every visually impaired runner has a different level of sight,” she said. “If I make one small mistake, they may get hurt, and that weighs on me. But watching someone go from 500 meters to finishing a full marathon—that joy is hard to describe.”
The group also includes Wu Kaiqiang and Wang Chengyuan, a newly married couple who run a massage shop in the city. Wu, who has slight light perception, is one of the strongest runners in the team. He completed the Shanghai Marathon on December 1st, 2024, with a time of 4 hours and 15 minutes. “This year, I want to break 3:45,” he said with a smile.
The Taiyuan chapter of Dark Runners was launched on September 21st, 2024, by long-time runner Li Jie. The idea first came to her during the 2024 Qinhuangdao Marathon, where she saw a guide holding a short orange rope connected to a visually impaired athlete. “That image stayed with me,” she recalled. “Later, after connecting with the team in Shanghai, the idea finally took root.”
Since then, the group has grown from a handful of people to 425 members, including more than 130 visually impaired runners. “For many of them, running was once unimaginable,” Li Jie said. “Over the past year, they have pushed past limits they never thought they could break.”
Running Toward Confidence and Connection
By 8 a.m., the fog in Heping Park still hung low, reducing visibility. Yet the runners’ bright orange shirts and guide ropes seemed to glow in the grey light. These ropes, Li Jie explained, symbolise connection—between runners, volunteers and the wider community. “Orange stands for brightness and hope,” she said. “We want every runner to move toward the light.”
China is home to more than 18 million people with visual impairments. Groups like Dark Runners offer not only physical training but also community support, confidence and a chance to participate fully in public life.
As the runners took off around the lake, their footsteps formed a steady rhythm that cut through the mist. Some moved fast. Others took their time. But all were heading in the same direction—forward.
Written by Chen Wang, additional reporting by CNS.
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