Six months following Kyle Robidoux’s barrier-breaking moment when he became the first legally blind runner to start the legendary Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run, a film documenting the experience will make its local premiere.
The film, titled “Narrow Vision,” will be shown at an event starting at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7, at Heartbreak Hill Running Company, 652 Tremont Street, in Boston.
A resident of Roxbury, Mass., Robidoux typically races with the assistance of a sighted guide. To help attendees better understand that component and to introduce potential guides to those responsibilities, the event will begin with a “how to guide”-themed run with Robidoux and Cory Gardner. Gardner is a Team with a Vision sighted guide and member of the Heartbreaker Running Club, and he has guided Robidoux several times. A screening of the short film will follow, and then Robidoux and Gardner will take questions from audience members.
“Narrow Vision” was produced by CLIF Bar, the company that provided Robidoux with a sponsor’s entry bib into Western States. He had already proven his ability to run the distance by completing three 100-mile races, first at the Vermont 100 in 2017, then the Ghost Train 100 and the Yeti 100.
Robidoux has spent much of his running career advocating for making the sport more inclusive for people of every size, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability and more. His efforts led to the creation of an Athletes with Disabilities Division at the Vermont 100, a race that has now had a handful of finishers within the division.
Following Western States, Robidoux has spoken to running groups throughout the country. In October, he was a guest speaker at the U.S. Trail Running Conference in Estes Park, Colo., where he spoke about diversity and inclusion in the sport.
Attendance at the film screening is free, but an RSVP is requested. For more information or to RSVP, click this link.