Olympian Alexi Pappas runs 2022 London Marathon as guide for Para athlete
Pappas and Lisa Thompson, a visually impaired runner, also completed the 2022 Boston Marathon together
Alexi Pappas is known for being a remarkable athlete (she ran the 10,000m for Greece at Rio in 2016), but can also boast credentials as a renowned author, filmmaker, and mental health advocate. Pappas can now add guiding a Para athlete in two World Major Marathons to her resume, after she teamed up with visually impaired athlete Lisa Thompson for Sunday’s 2022 TCS London Marathon (their second marathon together, after running the Boston Marathon in April).
You’ll want to savour every moment of Pappas’ video on Instagram as it encapsulates her experience with teammate Thompson.
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Thompson, 54, is a Houston-based real estate agent and has no sight in her left eye and very little in her right eye. She can see the ground, but she has very limited depth perception. Thompson began running as a child as a way to cope with the challenges caused by her visual impairment.
After experiencing some personal loss at age 40, a friend encouraged her to sign up for a race. Thompson completed her first half-marathon in 2008, and now has 27 marathons under her belt. In 2014, she ran a personal best of 3:16:50 at the Houston Marathon. Pappas and Thompson met through a mutual friend.
Thompson doesn’t need to run with a tether, but she does need someone to run alongside her. Despite some injury concerns heading into Boston, Thompson won the T13 (visual impairment) division in 3:47:25, with Pappas by her side. During Boston, Thompson dedicated every mile to someone in her life who had passed away. She shared those moments with Pappas, and it strengthened their bond.
While Pappas has a marathon PB of 2:34, running as Thompson’s teammate at Boston was her first time experiencing the iconic race, though Thompson had successfully run it eight times. Pappas and Thompson were both running the London Marathon for the first time, and crossed the finish line together in 3:59:18.
Before and after the London Marathon, Pappas took to social media to share her experience with Thompson, explaining that as Thompson’s teammate, she was, “an audiobook, in a way.” Pappas points out people in unique costumes and uses metaphors to help guide Thompson through the crowds as they ran in both Boston and London.
“The runners are like an ocean,” Thompson and Pappas agree, discussing how hard it is not to get caught up in the crowds. “It takes a lot of confidence and composure to run your own race,” Pappas says. Pre-race, Thompson and Pappas agreed their goals were simply to enjoy the experience and to try to brighten someone else’s day.
“Lisa and I soaked in all the accented cheers of the tree and people-lined streets. We loved the costumes. We loved the kids. We loved the chance to start right on the heels of the elite field,” Pappas shared after the marathon. “We were in a groove, having learned how to be teammates this spring in Boston. We were really good about tangents this time.”
“Running a marathon is like an orange: sometimes hard to get into but then wonderful, refreshing, messy, delicious. Good shared. Good alone. Happy Lisa and I were together today,” said Pappas.
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