Lauren Spiezia, 33, has defended her decision to run the New York City Marathon topless, saying she did it to display her mastectomy scars, challenge body shame, and raise funds for breast cancer research. The mum-of-one completed the 26.2-mile race on Sunday, November 1, bare-chested, drawing criticism from some onlookers.
Social Media Backlash
Spiezia's run divided reactions online. One critic wrote: “This is a ridiculous way to support health, this is a friendly family event, and this is not the place to run topless.” Another added: “It’s completely inappropriate to run topless at a family event.”
However, the reason behind her act has since come to light. At age 31, Spiezia was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer after initially being dismissed by two doctors who told her she was "too young". She later discovered she carries the BRCA2 gene mutation, a hereditary genetic fault that drastically increases a person's lifetime risk of developing breast and ovarian cancers.
Fighting Body Shame
Spiezia told News.com.au: “There was a moment after my mastectomy where I felt insecure about my scars on my chest, and I really hated that I allowed it to make me feel badly about myself when in fact they were just a sign of strength. That’s when I had the idea about running it topless.”
During the race, her chest and reconstruction scars were completely bare, supported only by special anti-chafing tape. Her back carried a QR code linking onlookers to a free breast cancer risk assessment tool.
Spiezia explained: “My goal was to give women and men going through treatment hope and courage to persevere, and make them feel less alone on the journey. This was a movement about body positivity, advocacy, and empowering women, full stop.”
Recovery and Fundraising
Her recovery routine reportedly involved 16 rounds of chemotherapy, eight rounds of immunotherapy, a double mastectomy, reconstructive surgery, and the removal of her fallopian tubes. Spiezia completed the race in 4 hours, 54 minutes, and 4 seconds.
She ran as an official member of "Fred’s Team", a fundraising arm for the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, helping her team raise over $50,000 (£37,000).
