On Sunday 12 April, Lisa Hale will line up among thousands of other runners for the hugely popular London Landmarks Half Marathon. Lisa, though, will look a little different – dressed as a giant womb to raise money and awareness for Target Ovarian Cancer. RW caught up with her to talk setting records and running in a weighted vest.

‘I am running London Landmarks in memory of my mum, who passed away in January 2024 from ovarian cancer. She was only supposed to have up to two years, but we ended up having her for six. It was a traumatic time in our lives. At some point, back in November, London Landmarks sent an email saying, “Is anyone running in fancy dress? Is anyone looking to set a Guinness World Record?” I went down a bit of a rabbit hole and then submitted an application to run the ‘fastest female half marathon dressed as a body part’. I have to run a time of two and a half hours.

‘The costume is big and quite heavy, so I’ve been training in a 5kg weighted vest to prepare myself. I tend to run three times a week, with one of those runs being long, one being fast and one being easy.

‘I’ve run quite a few half marathons over the years and have almost always finished in under two hours. However, if it’s windy on the London Landmarks course, it’s going to be hard because the costume is like a sail if it catches the wind.

‘Five of my friends’ husbands’ companies covered the costs of making the costume. It’s massive – it’s a whole womb! To be a Guinness World Record, the costumer had to be fully encased from head to knees and a hard structure away from the body. I’ve given it the nickname ‘Wonder Wombman’.

‘I ran the London Marathon in 2023 and was so anxious about getting tripped up or losing my pace that I didn’t really look around. There are photos of me running past Big Ben and I don’t even remember it. So, Landmarks will give me the opportunity to actually enjoy all the iconic London sights along the way.

‘I sometimes don’t give myself credit for being a decent runner. At 47, I ran the London Marathon in 4:15, which I was more than happy with. Almost every half marathon that I’ve run has been in under two hours and I have a 23:41 parkrun PB. I’ve done lots of other challenges, too, like cycling from London to Paris, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and completing the the National Three Peaks and Yorkshire Three Peaks.

‘I’m raising money for Target Ovarian Cancer. It funds a lot of research and one of its major aims is to support early diagnosis, because it’s one of the cancers where the symptoms can be easily missed or mistaken for other illnesses. I’m actually having my ovaries out after the race to eliminate my increased genetic risk of getting ovarian cancer.

‘My original target was to raise £350. I did have a look last night – and it’s now £3,891. I would really like to get to £4,000, if I could.

‘My main aim is to increase awareness of the symptoms and get people talking – maybe not even necessarily about ovarian cancer, but all cancers. As my mum was passing away, my dad was diagnosed with bladder cancer. After my dad passed away indirectly from bladder cancer, my fiancé and a good friend of mine were both diagnosed with bladder cancer. They were on it early, so they’re fine. But I’m passionate about people knowing the symptoms and getting an early diagnosis.

‘In terms of the symptoms of ovarian cancer, one of them is consistent bloating – after every time you eat or bloating that just won’t go away. Another is needing to go for a wee more often than you usually would. Abdominal pain, around or below your stomach, is another symptom, as is a loss of appetite. If you’re in any doubt, don’t take the risk – go and speak with your GP.’

Lisa Hale is raising money for Target Ovarian Cancer – you can support her fundraising efforts here. For more information about ovarian cancer, visit targetovariancancer.org.uk.