In 2026, I will be running the Leeds Half Marathon to raise funds and awareness for the Endometriosis Foundation and GRACE (Gynaecological Oncology Research and Clinical Excellence).

I’m doing this as a man because I’ve seen first-hand how often women’s pain is dismissed, minimised, or ignored.

I’m running for my girlfriend, Lottie, but also for every woman who has ever been told her pain is “normal”, “nothing”, or “just part of being a woman”.

Over the past year, I’ve watched someone I love live with endometriosis and ovarian tumours - conditions that are chronic, exhausting, and still widely misunderstood. Charities like the Endometriosis Foundation and GRACE have been invaluable sources of information, advocacy, and reassurance during what has been an overwhelming and frightening time.

There are days when pain limits mobility. Standing for long periods can be impossible, basic tasks require support, and flare-ups can cause nausea, vomiting, and severe breathlessness. When endometriosis affects the lungs, even breathing can become painful.

She lives with constant pain and extreme fatigue. There is no cure. Managing endometriosis has meant major lifestyle changes, medically induced menopause, undergoing surgery, and having to think far too early about fertility and the possibility of having children.

Endometriosis is not “just a bad period”. It’s a full-body disease, where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows in other parts of the body - including the ovaries, fallopian tubes, diaphragm, lungs, and even the brain or skin. It can progress in stages, spread over time, and mimic cancer. Tumours and cysts can become malignant, and women with endometriosis face significantly higher risks of gynaecological cancers.

Despite affecting as many people as diabetes, endometriosis has no cure, limited treatment options, and shockingly low research funding. On average, patients wait 7–12 years for a diagnosis. Many function daily through pain levels that would send others to the emergency room, all while appearing “fine” on the outside.

That invisibility is part of the problem.

This run is about turning endurance into awareness. It’s about men stepping up, listening, and using our voices when women’s pain isn’t taken seriously. Every mile I run is for better research, earlier diagnosis, improved treatment, and a future where no one is told their suffering is imaginary.

If you’re able to donate, share, or talk about this fundraiser, you’re helping to break the silence around endometriosis and gynaecological cancers and that matters more than you might think.

Thank you for supporting Men for Endo

Ollie