Inspire 2026 - Lucy
“When I cross that finish line, it will mean so much more than simply completing my first half marathon. It will be for every woman who has struggled to be heard, taken seriously or get the care she deserves."
Woman told her crippling period pain was “normal” to run first half marathon for women’s health charity.
After years of being told her severe pain was “just normal” for a woman, Lucy Owen will take on her first ever half marathon at the Oysho Royal Parks Half Marathon this October, after running helped her reclaim her body following years of living with undiagnosed endometriosis.
Lucy, 36, from Mersea Island, Essex, will run the 13.1-mile race on Sunday 11th October 2026 for Wellbeing of Women, raising funds for women’s health research and awareness.
Lucy first experienced severe period pain as a teenager, but despite repeated GP appointments, she was told her symptoms were a normal part of being a woman. As the pain worsened, she began planning her life around her cycle, living with debilitating abdominal and back pain, fatigue, heavy periods and severe bloating.
“At times, it was so bad that I simply couldn’t function, but after numerous visits to the GP and being told that it was ‘just normal’, I eventually resigned myself to the fact that this was just what being a woman was going to be like for me,” said Lucy.
It was only after meeting a friend with endometriosis, who recognised her own symptoms in Lucy’s experience, that she returned to her GP and began the process that would finally lead to a diagnosis at 27. Further investigations revealed extensive endometriosis, and Lucy underwent a two-and-a-half-hour operation, although surgeons were unable to remove all the disease.
“Finally having a diagnosis was a huge relief because I knew I hadn’t imagined it. But there was also a lot of sadness that it had taken until I was 27 to get an answer and to finally be taken seriously,” said Lucy.
Lucy has since undergone multiple surgeries, but continues to live with chronic pain, fatigue, heavy periods, unpredictable flare-ups and severe bloating. Working as an NHS therapist, she also has to manage the impact of her condition alongside a demanding job.
“Living with endometriosis still means planning my life around my cycle,” she said. “Often, there is only one week in a month where I feel like my energy is almost normal.”
After years of feeling frustrated by her body, Lucy turned to running. What began as an outlet for her anger has transformed her relationship with herself. Following a charity challenge in January, when she ran 2km every day, something changed.
“Something just shifted. I loved every run,” said Lucy. “Suddenly I stopped running because I was angry at my body and started running because I was proud of it.”
After completing her first 10km, Lucy realised that her body could do things she had never believed possible and running has become about far more than fitness. She is now training three times a week alongside two strength sessions and has already run 18km in preparation for her first half marathon.
“It was this realisation that my body might struggle with endometriosis, but it can also do hard things. Running has genuinely saved my life because endometriosis had started to make my life feel smaller,” said Lucy. “Running gave me something back that endometriosis couldn’t take away: freedom, headspace, and confidence in my body again.”
Lucy is fundraising for Wellbeing of Women, the UK’s leading charity dedicated to women’s health, which funds research, education and change across women’s reproductive and gynaecological health. Lucy hopes her challenge will help other women recognise that their pain is real and that they deserve to be heard.
“Wellbeing of Women is incredibly close to my heart because my own experience has shown me just how much women’s health needs to be taken seriously,” said Lucy. “For far too long, women’s health has been under-researched, underfunded and misunderstood.”
“The biggest thing I want people to understand is that endometriosis is so much more than painful periods,” she said. “I want women who are still waiting for a diagnosis, or who feel like they aren’t being heard, to know that their pain is real and that they deserve to be listened to and taken seriously.”
When Lucy crosses the Oysho Royal Parks Half Marathon finish line, she will be running for the women who are still waiting for answers, for her children, Juno and Tanner, and her friend Lucy, whose own endometriosis diagnosis helped her recognise what was happening to her.
After years of feeling that her body was letting her down, Lucy now sees it very differently.
“I’ve also learned to be happy being a very average runner. I don’t need to be the fastest or the best; I’m just incredibly proud that I’m out there doing it.”
“When I cross that finish line, it will mean so much more than simply completing my first half marathon. It will be for every woman who has struggled to be heard, taken seriously or get the care she deserves, but it will also be a moment to look at my body and think, ‘You know what? You’re incredible.’ I think that will mean more to me than the medal ever could.”
To support Lucy’s fundraising for Wellbeing of Women, please visit her fundraising page:
