Standard Chartered has announced the return of the legendary road race duo Henry Wanyoike and Joseph Kibunja, who will be running in the 10k race at the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon 2015, set to take place on January 23.

Visually impaired Wanyoike, the world record holder of the 5,000m and 10,000m events at the Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 Paralympics, and his long-time running partner and childhood friend Kibunja will take part as Goodwill Ambassadors for ‘Seeing is Believing’ (SiB), Standard Chartered Bank’s global programme to raise $100 million to eliminate avoidable blindness by 2020.

Wanyoike runs in races while being connected by a tether on the wrist to Joseph, who guides him, without breaking stride, through the obstacles, turns or when to accelerate along the route.

As ‘Seeing is Believing’ ambassadors, the two runners will be visiting schools and some of Standard Chartered’s clients across the UAE to raise awareness about the programme and inspire other people with their experience.

They will also be visiting Dubai Chamber of Commerce, Rashid Paediatric Therapy Centre in Dubai and the Future Centre in Abu Dhabi to inspire children with special needs.

Nor Alizulrainee, who will make his Dubai debut this year, is yet another talented visually impaired person, who flew from Brunei to run the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon this year.

“The Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon has always been a special event for us because of the enthusiasm of the local running community to be part of our advocacy,” said Wanyoike.

“We are therefore very excited to be back in Dubai to share our stories and experiences with the growing number of supporters of the ‘Seeing is Believing’ programme and to ultimately enjoy the fellowship with other running enthusiasts from the UAE and all over the world.” - TradeArabia News Service