An eye professor's Gift of Sight relay team ran the Clarendon Marathon to Winchester in 3 hours 39 minutes, 8 minutes faster than last year, for eye research.
A four-person relay team led by an eye specialist ran Sunday’s Clarendon Marathon in 3 hours 39 minutes, eight minutes quicker than their time last year, raising money for research into blinding eye diseases.
Professor Andrew Lotery is a consultant ophthalmologist and a researcher into sight-threatening eye diseases at the University of Southampton. His team of four from Highfield, Southampton, set out to finish in under four hours and beat that comfortably, according to the university’s Gift of Sight Appeal, “despite the unseasonably warm conditions”. His own leg took 49 minutes.
The marathon was held on 4 October. The team’s fundraising page describes the course as “the full 26-mile route from Salisbury to Winchester”, split between the four runners (Team Lotery on JustGiving). The Mayor of Winchester was at the finish line to meet them.
Why he runs
The money goes to the Gift of Sight Appeal, which funds research at the University of Southampton into the causes of blinding eye diseases and the development of new treatments.
Professor Lotery said:
“As an ophthalmologist, I regularly see the impact of sight loss on patients and their families. While many eye conditions can be treated, delays in diagnosis or access to specialist care can sometimes lead to irreversible vision loss. Ultimately, our aim is to beat blindness caused by devastating eye diseases, and we’re grateful for any support that helps move research forward.”
On the team’s page, written before the race, he describes himself as an ophthalmologist at Southampton Eye Unit. The appeal’s own description there lists the research it pays for: studies into age-related macular degeneration (AMD), retinal diseases, corneal infections and conditions affecting young children.
The fundraising so far
When we checked the page on 5 October 2026, it showed:
| Figure | Total |
|---|---|
| Donations | 11 |
| Raised online | £453.01 |
| Gift Aid on top | £102.50 |
The page is still open. The appeal says every donation “helps fund pioneering eye research in Southampton, bringing scientists closer to better treatments and prevention for blinding eye conditions”.
What it means for you
If you want to back the team, donations can still be made on the Team Lotery JustGiving page. The appeal’s own site is giftofsight.org.uk, and its Gift of Sight Officer, Jennie Mugridge, is on 023 8059 5921.
Sight loss and running meet in another Winchester story this autumn: the city now has 28 trained guide runners for blind and partially sighted runners.
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