Marathon success for Minette Batters

We’ve had rain; in fact, since my last focus, it hasn’t stopped raining. It’s been dreadful conditions for calving and calves – silage fields, along with the rest of us, are now in need of some sun.


Planning permission for our luxury camping venture is going painfully slowly, and permission for a cattle barn rests on the findings of an archeological survey – every bit of earth moved has to be checked. Heaven forbid they should find a slow worm or great crested newt. Everyone tells me that planning will get easier – that may be the case, but there’s no sign of it yet.


Never again will I co-ordinate the Great British Beef Week and run in the London marathon – various unprintable words could be used to describe how I felt. Let’s just say it was really tough. I completed the marathon in a couple of minutes over four hours, and have raised just over £16,000 for JDRF in back-to-back London marathons.


I never had any desire to run in a marathon until my son George was diagnosed, aged six, with Type 1 diabetes. He was critically ill and it was a life-changing diagnosis for us all. His life is now dependant on daily insulin injections and constant finger prick tests to monitor sugar levels – although to meet him you’d never know there was anything wrong. I can’t say a big enough thank you to all the very generous people who have sponsored me and in turn are helping to find a cure for Type 1.




Read more from Minette Batters



Read more from our other livestock Farmer Focus writers

See more