Accessibility on the Beltline Brings Runners TogetherAccessibility on the Beltline Brings Runners Together

For Austin Devine, running on the Atlanta Beltline is about much more than crossing a finish line. It is a way to connect with his community and share special experiences with the people around him. 

Austin lost most of his vision at a young age. He became partially blind at three and lost the remainder of his vision at 19. Before running became a passion, he trained for the Paralympics in goalball, a sport designed for athletes with vision impairment. After stepping away from the sport, Austin looked for new ways to stay active. His wife, a former high school and college runner, introduced him to running while they were dating. What started with a 5K quickly became a shared passion between them. 

Today, the Beltline is an important part of Austin’s training routine. He typically runs on the trail about once or twice a week with local run clubs. His favorite stretch has become the Northeast Trail and Eastside Trail between Old Fourth Ward and Piedmont Park, where the wide paths give him room to run with a guide while taking in the high energy of the city. 

The Beltline has helped Austin prepare for some of his biggest athletic goals. While training for the New York City Marathon, he completed most of his long runs on the trail, including an 18-mile feat. His friends and fellow runners took turns joining him for different portions of his training. For Austin, those shared miles capture the unique beauty of running on the Beltline. While running can often be an individual sport, the trail creates opportunities for connection. Run clubs, guide runners, friends, and fellow trail users can turn a difficult training run into a community experience. 

Austin’s advice to other runners is simple: “Do it!” For him, the Beltline offers an inspiring environment where people pursuing their own goals can still feel connected to something bigger. He also encourages other trail users to be mindful of runners with vision impairments. Guide runners and athletes with vision impairments may run while physically connected. Austin asks fellow trail users to give these pairs a little extra space. 

The Beltline is a place for people of all abilities to move, train, gather, and experience Atlanta together. Austin’s miles are a reminder that while every runner may have an individual goal, the journey can be made better when the trail becomes a place to find community along the way.