Blind Ultramarathoner Will Move You To Go The Distance In New Ad

While runners in Sunday's New York City Marathon will overcome all kinds of challenges, few probably face the obstacles that ultramarathoner Simon Wheatcroft does in his longer races.

Wheatcroft is blind and trains alone. A moving ad shows how he uses the Runkeeper app with IBM's cloud analytics to help him navigate terrain with proper pacing. There are bumps along the way -- and ice to heal them -- but he gets there.

According to IBM Cloud Hero Stories, Wheatcroft began losing his vision at age 17, started running at 25 and trained for his first 100-mile race six months later. But during the competition his body gave out at 83 miles, he wrote in an essay for Wired. As the stirring spot above illustrates, the moment has served as powerful motivation to push further.

Incidentally, Wheatcroft did run the 2014 New York City Marathon -- after running 250 miles from Boston to New York.

Wheatcroft's will has more to do with conquering his disability than an app, but, hey, every little bit helps.