Am I a deluded attention-seeker? Why I’m running the London Marathon dressed as a badger | Running
Delusion. That’s the crucial prerequisite for running a marathon in fancy dress, according to the ultramarathon competitor and cancer survivor Jonathan Acott, who is attempting the fastest marathon dressed in a clanking suit of armour. So that’s what it was when I decided to run this year’s London Marathon dressed as a badger. I’ve run a marathon once before, 19 years ago. I hated the suffering. I injured myself. And now I’m 51. Why was this a good idea? It started last year. Gazing at a piece of barren farmland that Norfolk Wildlife Trust (NWT) hope to bring back to life, I decided I would help. People taking local action to make the world a tiny bit better is a hopeful antidote to global doom-and-gloom. My nature-loving dad, who used to volunteer for NWT, died last year. With NWT celebrating its 100th birthday this year, it seemed a good moment to raise money for its efforts. The badger is the symbol of the Wildlife Trusts and I have a badger onesie in my wardrobe. And …
