West Brom legend 'Blind Dave' takes on 17th London Marathon
He told us 2025 will be his final London Marathon
Last updated 27th Apr 2025
Dave Heeley, known as 'Blind Dave' in West Bromwich, is running his 17th London Marathon for 2025.
He is running for the Albion Foundation, who support children with disabilities.
Who is 'Blind Dave'?
Dave Heeley is blind, hence his nickname 'Blind Dave'. He runs with a guide, which he said will hopefully inspire other people living with a disability:
"When I was a kid myself, the opportunities that are around today just were not available. If a blind old man from West Bromwich can do it, they can too.
"When I meet the kids at the Albion Foundation, I can hear them say 'if he can do it then I can do it' which is all I want to hear," he said.
This year, for the first time, he will have his three daughters to guide him. He told us it will make the run even more special:
"My goal is to get them to the finish line with a medal around their neck. After that, we will see how many tears we can stop flowing.
"If I could bottle up the atmosphere at the London Marathon and then distribute it over the rest of the year, the world would be a much better place," he said.
"There is a lot of pressure when you take a marathon on"
It will be Dave's 17th London Marathon, but also his last. He told us he has stopped because he wants to go back to running for fun:
"It would be just nice to go on a run and do it casually. There is a lot of pressure when you take a marathon on.
"I may still do a half marathon but, for now, I will just run for fun and to put the world to rights whilst I do it," he joked.
"It teaches children with a disability that they can be part of a team"
Dave is raising money for the Albion Foundation, because it supports children living with a disability.
"I am a West Bromwich Albion fan and that is how I found the Albion foundation. They put kids together through disability sports like blind football or wheelchair basketball.
"It teaches children with disabilities that they can be part of a team and lead a life just like anybody else," he said.