While visually impaired（受损） runners usually use human guides, Thomas Panek became the first to complete the race supported by dogs, making history at the New York City Half Marathon. Three dogs—Westley, Waffle and Gus—each 1 him for a third of the race.
Thomas told CNN that though he 2 the support of human volunteers, he missed the feeling of 3 . In 2015, he established the Running Guides programme 4 dogs to support runners. When selecting his partners for the New York race, he chose siblings （兄妹） Waffle and Westley to join Gus, his full-time guide dog. "The 5 is really important. You can't just 6 the harness （系带） and go for a run with these dogs," Thomas explained. "You're training with a team whatever kind of 7 you are, and you want to spend time together in that training camp."
Each dog sets its own 8 —Westley runs an eight-minute mile, while his sister Watle can 9 the same distance in six minutes—and helps Thomas 10 obstacles （障碍物）. Gus was chosen to run the final 11 of the race and 12 the finish line with Thomas. He 13 from his duties as a guide dog at the end of the race, which meant he would leave the track field forever. "It's a little 14 for me because he's always been there with me," Thomas said.
After the race, Thomas commented that guide dogs gave people like him the 15 to do whatever a sighted person does, and sometimes, even ran a little faster than them.
