A BLIND man has been training hard to run Madrid's half-marathon with his guide and they will both be under starter's orders tomorrow (Saturday) - mainly aiming to have fun, but with the idea of winning as a bonus.
But José says his 'dream' is to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, for which he will need to complete the 13-mile (21.0975-kilometre) race in record time.
He needs to finish a full marathon, at 26 miles (42.195 kilometres) in just two hours and 45 minutes - something he will be gunning for in Sevilla next year, a city where he has already run marathons at the hand (literally) of his close friend and guide Florencio.
The pair has also completed marathons in Valencia and Lisbon, and the Madrid half-version is merely for practice and entertainment.
"I used to live in Madrid, but I've had to move to Jerez de la Frontera [Cádiz province] for work," José explains.
"But even since then, we've been managing to run together once a week or once every two weeks.
"The distance between us [Florencio still lives in Madrid] has not affected the closeness of our friendship. We talk to each other every day and joke with each other. The truth is that we've got used to running together, and it feels weird training on our own without the other."
Florencio, an accomplished Ironman triathlete, says he and José met two-and-a-half years ago via the platform EDP, which helps put blind sportspersons and trainers together.
"I joined up, put my details down and my running speeds, and José contacted me to see if I could train with him," Florencio explains.
"We travel to every race with our friends and families."
José says: "I run six days a week, and if I can't go out with anyone, I go to the gym and run on the treadmill.
"I'm blind in one eye - I can't see a thing out of it - and with the other, my vision is just 0.03%, which means I can just about see patches, but that's all.
"Going out in town on my own terrifies me, but if we go to races and reach places where there aren't many people, Florencio takes me 'off the leash'."
The two men run with José's hand literally tied to Florencio's, which is nowhere near as simple as it looks.
"We have to practice a lot - the most important part is arm coordination," explains Florencio.
"You have to swing your arms in unison to be able to control your stride, rhythm and speed."
Florencio says he would 'never swap' his role, crossing the finishing line with José at his side.
"That feeling of satisfaction surpasses everything," he admits.
José agrees.
"On occasion, at the finishing line, I've cried like a baby - achieving that by the side of your best friend is something there are no words to describe."
