{"id":239745,"date":"2026-04-22T10:53:46","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T10:53:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/22\/am-i-a-deluded-attention-seeker-why-im-running-the-london-marathon-dressed-as-a-badger\/"},"modified":"2026-04-22T10:53:46","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T10:53:46","slug":"am-i-a-deluded-attention-seeker-why-im-running-the-london-marathon-dressed-as-a-badger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/22\/am-i-a-deluded-attention-seeker-why-im-running-the-london-marathon-dressed-as-a-badger\/","title":{"rendered":"Am I a deluded attention-seeker? Why I\u2019m running the London Marathon dressed as a badger"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

\n

D<\/span>elusion. That\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

So that\u2019s what it was when I decided to run this year\u2019s London Marathon dressed as a badger. I\u2019ve run a marathon once before, 19 years ago. I hated the suffering<\/a>. I injured myself. And now I\u2019m 51. Why was this a good idea?<\/p>\n

It started last year. Gazing at a piece of barren farmland that Norfolk Wildlife Trust<\/a> (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<\/a> for its efforts. The badger is the symbol of the Wildlife Trusts and I have a badger onesie in my wardrobe. And so, I began training, driven by that strange constellation of personal and idealistic notions that make people choose to embrace pain for 26.2 miles.<\/p>\n

Running in a costume liberates me from my egotistical drive for a certain time; I just want to finish. And training started well. I plodded an 18-miler, then a 20-miler (not in costume) and then, six weeks ago: disaster. I pulled the same calf-and-tendon I\u2019d knackered in my last marathon. Turns out it never properly healed. On medical advice, I\u2019ve rested ever since \u2013 a ridiculously long taper.<\/p>\n

On the plus side, the London Marathon<\/a> has a new feature called Woodland Way at mile 10 \u2013 a space lined with native trees, playing calming nature sounds \u2013 where a badger will be right at home. And when I complete the race, I can choose to plant a tree with a marathon charity partner instead of receiving a finisher\u2019s T-shirt.<\/p>\n

But my anxiety is rising. Will I finish? Will it be unbearably hot? Why does anyone do such a difficult thing in public, in fancy dress? Are we all deluded attention-seekers?<\/p>\n

I decided to ask my fellow fancy-dress marathon runners.<\/p>\n

Fiona Betts, helicopter (2023 and 2026)<\/h2>\n
<\/svg><\/span>\u2018The helicopter lady\u2019 \u2026 Fiona Betts.<\/span> Photograph: Courtesy of Fiona Betts<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Top tip: don\u2019t go out too fast, and don\u2019t think you can bag some quick miles \u2013 it never pays dividends.<\/em><\/p>\n

Fiona Betts got back into running when she was 47, her boys had grown up and she had a bit more time in her life. She thought it would be fun to set a fancy dress record but found it harder than she imagined. The records are strictly categorised. She fancied running as Princess Fiona from Shrek but that\u2019s \u201canimated film character, and they are super-fast\u201d, she says. \u201cI can\u2019t run a marathon as quickly in fancy dress.\u201d<\/p>\n

When she saw an air ambulance land in the field behind her house in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, it sparked an idea: run as a helicopter and raise money for Air Ambulances UK<\/a>, which supports all the regional services. And the \u201c3D Aircraft\u201d world record category was there for the taking.<\/p>\n

Fiona set the record in 2023. \u201cNow I want to break it,\u201d she says. \u201cYears and years ago, as a kid, I always loved watching the Record Breakers show.\u201d<\/p>\n

This year will be her 28th marathon, mostly not in what she calls her Fizcopter<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s gone a bit haywire,\u201d she says of her running habit. She trains in her \u2019copter and is known as \u201cthe helicopter lady\u201d around her home town. Although her costume has the benefit of not covering her head, it gets stonkingly hot inside. On a cool day recently, her sports watch informed her it was 31C inside. \u201cI\u2019m of an age where I run hot all of the time,\u201d she laughs.<\/p>\n

Betts is experienced, she knows she can do it, and London is like no other marathon, she says. \u201cIt\u2019s just something different \u2013 the atmosphere and the acceptance of fancy dress costume. It\u2019s the hardest thing I\u2019ve ever done and it\u2019s the most fun marathon.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jonathan Acott, suit of armour (2026)<\/h2>\n
\n
<\/picture><\/div>
<\/svg><\/span>Armour plated \u2026 Jonathan Acott.<\/span> Photograph: Courtesy of Jonathan Acott<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Top tip: if you haven\u2019t done enough training, you haven\u2019t done enough. Deal with what\u2019s in front of you, not shoulda-woulda-coulda.<\/em><\/p>\n

Jonathan Acott is kind enough not to paraphrase Crocodile Dundee \u2013 \u201cA badger? That\u2019s not a costume. This<\/em> is a costume\u201d \u2013 when we speak. First, he trained with weights strapped to his wrists and a weight-vest to mimic the real suit of armour he will run in. Then the real suit \u201cdidn\u2019t feel quite as awful as I thought it might\u201d, he says.<\/p>\n

His London marathon in armour is actually his first fancy-dress, and he\u2019s going for the Guinness world record: 6hr 47m. \u201cI quite like the metaphor of the armour,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

I can only marvel at his pain threshold. \u201cI\u2019m alright with pain,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019m constantly in a degree of discomfort, whether it\u2019s my back or knees or just from years of chemo and surgeries.\u201d Acott has survived six bouts of cancer, multiple operations and chemo since he was first diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2004, aged 29. Eighteen months after his most recent operation to remove one cancerous kidney and his spleen in 2018, he ran the Berlin marathon. He went on to become the first six-time cancer survivor to run a marathon on every continent. \u201cI\u2019m not in remission. The best I can hope for is no active cancer,\u201d he says. \u201cMarathons have never been about the race. They are a celebration of survivorship.\u201d<\/p>\n

Unsurprisingly, Acott is driven by empathy for those who have been through what he has. He\u2019s running for The Gift of Go<\/a>, a charity he founded to provide micro-gifts to patients and carers \u201ccaught up in the blast rays of cancer\u201d, as he puts it. \u201cJoy is a necessity. It\u2019s an essential. And the first thing to go with cancer is joy.\u201d His charity buys, for instance, pottery lessons for a carer if that\u2019s a desired distraction, or trainers if they want to take up running.<\/p>\n

Acott is now a motivational speaker. He makes a marathon in armour sound easy for him but it\u2019s not. \u201cI\u2019m very happy standing up on stage. But the idea of people seeing me in armour in the London marathon is humbling, terrifying and mortifying at the same time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alex Morris, polar bear (2025)<\/h2>\n
<\/svg><\/span>The polar bears on top his company\u2019s HQ were the inspiration for Alex Morris\u2019s marathon costume.<\/span> Photograph: Aaron Child\/Painted Life<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Top tip: set no expectation, apart from fun.<\/em><\/p>\n

The experience of running the London Marathon<\/a> in a plastic-lined polar bear costume is not encouraging. Alex Morris trained diligently. The polar bear came about because the property company for whom he is a quantity surveyor, Morris & Co, mounts polar bears on the roof of its Shrewsbury HQ each Christmas. So Morris thought he\u2019d boost his fundraising by running as his home town icon. \u201cI became the polar bear guy in Shrewsbury,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Training went so well he set a time target of 3hr 45m. Unfortunately, marathon day 2025 was hot. \u201cMy Garmin was recording 28C air temperature and that\u2019s what really caught me out,\u201d he says. The costume \u201cwas the hottest thing I\u2019d ever been in. It didn\u2019t wick away any sweat. I got to mile three and realised that was a challenge. It became mini-plan after mini-plan \u2013 get to the next water station. It was the longest day of my life. It was horrendous. Twice St John Ambulance staff had frank conversations with me \u2013 \u2018Is it worth it?\u2019 and \u2018Listen to your body.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere were tears,\u201d he says. \u201cThere was a lot of fundraising [he raised more than \u00a36,000 for Mind UK<\/a>] and, internally, you don\u2019t want to let people down. I\u2019ve had friends struggle with mental health and the construction sector has really damning mental health statistics<\/a>. Traditionally big macho builders don\u2019t want to talk about how they feel.\u201d<\/p>\n

He battled on, buoyed by the \u201cincredible\u201d support of the crowds. \u201cIn the hardest moments, the crowd were 10 deep, cheering you on and passing you drinks. I was struck by the diversity of London \u2013 Pride Corner, reggae acts, a priest throwing holy water over the runners, children \u2013 every person from every part of society was cheering people on.\u201d<\/p>\n

Morris finished \u2013 2kg lighter. He\u2019s not running this year but he would do it all over again. \u201cI\u2019d love to do another one in fancy dress, but perhaps something a little bit airier. It really brings the fun. Running has been quite boring ever since.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jo Robinson, lobster (2024), two-person inflatable elephant (2026)<\/h2>\n
<\/svg><\/span>\u2018All normal rules are broken\u2019 \u2026 Jo (left) and her friend Emma.<\/span> Photograph: Handout<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Top tip: soak up the atmosphere, enjoy it, and don\u2019t take it too seriously.<\/em><\/p>\n

When Jo Robinson ran as a giant lobster in the 2024 London Marathon, she was fit, prepared and gunning for the fastest crustacean world record. \u201cI trained for it being too hot but I hadn\u2019t trained for the rain,\u201d she says. Her costume was a huge, mascot-style affair, and it rapidly became wet and heavy. \u201cIt was like running with a towel wrapped around my legs. I finished, but I didn\u2019t get the record.\u201d<\/p>\n

This year, she\u2019s back for more, alongside her friend Emma Langstaff. Locked together in an inflatable elephant, they are aiming for the two-people-in-an-inflatable-costume world record. Their target is five hours and I am sure they will smash it: Robinson\u2019s personal best without a costume is an awesome 3hr 5m at London; Langstaff is just as quick. \u201cOn paper it doesn\u2019t sound too bad, but then we put the elephant on. To start with, we could only run 14-minute miles \u2013 we\u2019re not going to break a record at that pace,\u201d says Robinson.<\/p>\n

Now they\u2019ve sorted out their rhythm and sound well set, even though Robinson says they haven\u2019t trained much in costume. \u201cWe\u2019re just going to see how it goes on the day,\u201d she says. (Which is exactly my overly hopeful approach.)<\/p>\n

Like most runners, Robinson has a deeply personal drive to run. Both her daughters have type 1 diabetes and she has witnessed the relentlessness of this invisible condition, which demands up to 300 daily decisions about insulin, food and activity. Her chosen charity, Breakthrough T1D<\/a>, campaign for better treatments and technologies for everyone with type 1.<\/p>\n

When Robinson, who now owns a beach cafe in Cornwall, used to live in London, she never knew her neighbours. On marathon day, however, \u201call normal rules are broken\u201d she says \u2013 strangers chat and cheer on strangers. \u201cIt\u2019s a really special day. The world\u2019s a pretty crappy place at the moment. If we can all go out and support each other, that\u2019s a great thing. The London Marathon just brings out the best in people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Toby Freeman, a pair of testicles (2025 and 2026)<\/h2>\n
<\/svg><\/span>He\u2019s got balls \u2026 Toby Freeman in his giant testicles costume<\/span> Photograph: Courtesy of Toby Freeman<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Top tip: take stock of what you\u2019re actually doing \u2013 how bonkers it is \u2013 and enjoy the moment.<\/em><\/p>\n

Why do you run marathons as a big pair of bollocks? It\u2019s not a journalistic question I ever expected to ask. But Toby Freeman has an excellent reason for doing so. He lost his older brother, Rob, to testicular cancer aged 24. Freeman quit his job to be with him at the end. Fourteen years ago, he founded the Robin Cancer Trust<\/a>, vowing to raise awareness and cast aside stigma.<\/p>\n

Freeman found a specialist costume-maker who devised a truly standout costume: a pair of giant testicles, which make him 7ft tall and 3.5ft wide.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know each other intimately now,\u201d he says, after running Brighton, London, three back-to-back ultramarathons and a load of lesser races as \u201cthe Big Ballsy Runner\u201d.<\/p>\n

Last year, London\u2019s searing heat was tolerable because his legs and arms were free, and he could be splashed with water. \u201cRain is fine too, but the wind! It was windy in Brighton and it was so hard. I was literally stopped in my tracks going downhill by the wind.\u201d<\/p>\n

This year, he was aiming to break the \u201cbody part\u201d world record of 3hr 32m. He trained for seven months for that time, only to discover it has recently been smashed and is now an unreachable 3hr 14m. \u201cI just don\u2019t have that in my legs,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

He is relieved not to be going for a record and his race-day attitude is something I can only hope to emulate. \u201cThe longer I\u2019m out there running, the longer I can interact with the crowd and thank them for turning out, and enjoy the day,\u201d he says. \u201cLondon is genuinely overwhelming.\u201d<\/p>\n

I assume he is a massive extrovert but Freeman insists he would much rather sit on the sofa alone reading a comic. When he first ran in the costume, \u201cI couldn\u2019t think of anything more embarrassing. I\u2019ve never wanted to be the centre of attention and being so takes a lot out of me \u2013 my dips afterwards are quite big. I\u2019m physically tired but I\u2019m so emotionally tired, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, the experience is \u201cincredible\u201d and he\u2019s raised \u00a330,000 this past year. \u201cIf just one person gets checked out, it makes it all worthwhile.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Delusion. That\u2019s 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\u2019s what it was when I decided to run this year\u2019s London Marathon dressed as a badger. I\u2019ve run […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":239746,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6802],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-239745","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-athetics"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/239745","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=239745"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/239745\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/239746"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=239745"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=239745"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=239745"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}