Olympic runner reveals terrifying moment she lost her VISION during Valencia Marathon: 'Lights fully went out'

Eloise Wellings has opened up on the terrifying moment she lost her vision during a race in Spain.

Marathon runner Wellings, 41, crossed the line 26th overall in the Valencia Marathon on Saturday, with an Olympic qualifying time of 2:25.47, her second best effort. 

She finished roughly two minutes behind fellow Aussie Genevieve Gregson, whose 2:23.08 saw her finish eighth.

But it was a scary mid-race moment that left Wellings in a reflective mood after the race. She was on track for a 2:23 time before she started to lose her sight.

In a lengthy post on social media, Wellings said: 'Yesterday was something else.

'Ninety-five per cent of it was some of the best micro moments of my running days so far. I've never smiled so much in a marathon and the things that I loved about this race leave me excited to show up again.

'Yesterday revealed to me all over again the things I love about this sport… and also one of the things that kinda sucks — Marathons are a game of margins.

'The not-so-ideal five per cent included a hypo episode with blurry vision kicking off at 37km.

'I lost valuable time in the next three kilometres to manage the blur until lights fully went out at 41km, stopping, hanging over the barricade with just 900m left to run I had an apparently incoherent conversation with a Spanish man (which I have zero memory of lol) and then up and getting running again in what I hoped was the general direction of the finish line.

'I lost a couple of minutes in the final five kilometres because I missed the 28km drinks station. Margins.'

The mother-of-two is still hungry for more racing despite her ordeal in Spain. 

'So here I am, lying in bed at 3am googling marathons in early 2024… because that dream day is just a small margin away,' she went on.

'Mad love and respect for our three other Aussie women in the race. What's that saying… 'A rising tide floats all boats'. It has never been more accurate in women's marathon running in our country and it's a privilege to line up alongside you all.'

Wellings has represented Australia at the 2012, 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games, as well as in the 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Responding to the post, compatriot Gregson said: 'Oh man. Our dreams were colliding so perfectly stride for stride out there.

'It was my favourite stretch when we had a few words and decided to go for it.

'I will be here to help you chase down that marathon dream. It's right there in arms reach.

'Love you. Thanks for being my role model 20 years ago and even more so today.'