InterviewWayne Burton
premium
'Someone said to me things would get easier - that was the biggest lie I've ever been told'
Lee Mottershead meets an inspirational former jockey on a marathon mission
Lee MottersheadSenior writer
Wayne Burton in training with his Oaksey House physiotherapist Scott Reed as the pair prepare for the 2024 London Marathon
Credit: Edward Whitaker
Wayne Burton might not appear an obvious candidate to take part in the London Marathon.
The former jockey turned 40 this year and has never tackled a half-marathon, let alone the real thing he will face in April. By his own admission, the Lambourn resident is a little overweight. Some might consider a further barrier to his participation is the fact he is paralysed from the chest down.
Appearances can be deceptive. Burton has been taking on momentous endeavours since the March afternoon in 2008 when a fall in a handicap hurdle at Exeter changed everything.
Read the full story
Read award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing, with exclusive news, interviews, columns, investigations, stable tours and subscriber-only emails.
Subscribe to unlock
- Racing Post digital newspaper (worth over £100 per month)
- Award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing
- Expert tips from the likes of Tom Segal and Paul Kealy
- Replays and results analysis from all UK and Irish racecourses
- Form study tools including the Pro Card and Horse Tracker
- Extensive archive of statistics covering horses, trainers, jockeys, owners, pedigree and sales data
Already a subscriber?Log in
Copy
more inInterviews
- Aidan O'Brien: 'The weirdest, strangest, most impossible things can happen in racing and in life'
- James Fanshawe: 'It's easy to go in your shell and grumble that things aren't fair - but you have to remember how well you've done'
- Ralph Beckett: 'That day changed our lives - everything that's happened since has gone back to that'
- 'I never dial myself down, so when I ride I still put on my mascara' - Patrick Mullins meets Aine O'Connor
- 'I've made mistakes and there was definitely plenty of frustration - but now I'm where I want to be'
more inInterviews
- Aidan O'Brien: 'The weirdest, strangest, most impossible things can happen in racing and in life'
- James Fanshawe: 'It's easy to go in your shell and grumble that things aren't fair - but you have to remember how well you've done'
- Ralph Beckett: 'That day changed our lives - everything that's happened since has gone back to that'
- 'I never dial myself down, so when I ride I still put on my mascara' - Patrick Mullins meets Aine O'Connor
- 'I've made mistakes and there was definitely plenty of frustration - but now I'm where I want to be'