For her first season hosting Working, Slate’s Shannon Palus is delving into the world of running, from professional athletes to coaches to people who do all manner of things to help other people run.

This week, Shannon talks to Thomas Panek, president and CEO of Guiding Eye for the Blind, a nonprofit training school for guide dogs. Thomas is also a lifelong runner. But, as he tells Shannon, when he lost his eyesight, he thought his running days were over. Eventually, with the help of a human running guide, he got back into the sport. And as CEO of a guide-dog school, he came to realize that dogs are perfectly suited to be running guides themselves. Thomas was the first person to run a half-marathon with guide dogs last year, and he is on a mission to help more blind people have the freedom to run.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli.

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