West Virginia woman who is blind runs 5K race, ranks in her age group: ‘This is just the beginning’

Keryl Rustin is a 74-year-old blind woman from Kearneysville, West Virginia, who completed a 5K at the National Senior Games. In just 45 minutes, Rustin crossed the finish line with her running guide and placed 15th in her age group.

Meet Keryl Rustin — a 74-year-old woman who is blind and who just competed in her second National Senior Games 5K run. 

The resident of Kearneysville, West Virginia, also ran the 2022 5K unassisted and unnoticed — but this year, things were different.

On the rainy morning of July 9, Rustin ran the annual 5K for the second time in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania — this time with a local running guide. 

BLIND RUNNER CROSSES GRAND CANYON AND BACK IN 28 HOURS

Rustin placed 15th in her age group by finishing the race in just 45 minutes. 

Although it was a new challenge, Rustin said she was up for the fight. 

Rustin is a 74-year-old woman from West Virginia. She is blind and decided to challenge herself by running a 5K at the National Senior Games tournament.  (National Senior Games)

Rustin decided to run her first National Senior Games race last year, after spending the last couple of years running races and training with her seven-year-old granddaughter, Gabbi.

"She was the one who would go out with me early in the morning … if there wasn’t any school. And she would run with me and give me cues," she said in comments shared with Fox News Digital by the National Senior Games.

"She would run with me and give me cues."

Cues such as pointing out a change in pavement or a curve in the road were important for Rustin to know ahead of time — noting her granddaughter essentially taught her how to run blind.

Rustin of West Virginia said her first go-round with the run was in 2022, when she ran the race