The inspirational woman running the London Marathon topless
For Louise Butcher, running topless is just a way of life. After a double mastectomy two years ago, running bare-chested is a means to shed what she describes as the 'baggage of social norms' and embrace everything a life without bras has to offer.
Running has been a constant part of Butcher's life since she used it to help her manage anxiety and ADHD, but it took on additional significance when she was diagnosed with lobular breast cancer in April 2022.
Despite being encouraged by doctors and other professionals to undergo a breast reconstruction, Butcher made the decision that was right for her, even if it was not the expected one.
Throughout her treatment she continued to take to the paths around her local area and even completed her first marathon – London's virtual race during the coronavirus pandemic – just six weeks after her second mastectomy.
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'I wanted to show people that we [those who have had mastectomies] don't need to hide. It's just scarring. There's no boobs there,' Butcher tells Telegraph Sport from her home in south-west England.
'The week before I ran it, I was like 'I'm going to do it topless' and I didn't really tell that many people. I told my close friends and I got people at the end to be there.
'But it was kind of like, 'I'm just going to do it and I'm going to see how it feels and I know it's got to be done'.'
Having made the decision not to undergo reconstruction of any kind and pushed herself through marathon training in a desire not to be 'pitied' during her cancer treatment, it is that drive that propels Butcher in her running journey.
When asked what it feels like to run topless, Butcher pauses before continuing with enthusiasm: 'It feels like you're still a woman and you're still feminine, but you've lost all this baggage of social norms and bras.
'It feels a little bit like going back to childhood, but you're still a woman, but in a freeing way. I feel in a way like I've got armour on when I'm doing it. I feel less vulnerable now without boobs, because I think, obviously, boobs are sexualised.'
She adds: 'I remember when I was younger and I was in music and in the entertainment industry and boobs created attention and there were [a lot of ideas] about how a woman should look and people stared at them. And so when I go out running now and I'm topless, there's nothing to stare at. And even though there are scars there, I feel so much less vulnerable, but I still feel like a woman.'
Butcher admits there has been a mixed reaction to her running topless. While her husband and children have been 'amazing', others do not understand her reasons for doing it. Her message, though, is simple: 'I wanted to empower other people.'
Three other inspirational women taking on the 26.2-mile route
'I'll feel like I'm carrying Rob in spirit'
For Lindsey Burrow, the London Marathon has always been an aspiration and 14 days after ticking that off the bucket list, she will run the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon. Two 26.2-mile races in two weeks will be tough, but it is all for a good cause.
Burrow's husband Rob, the former England and Great Britain rugby league international, died last June aged 41, after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease in December 2019. Rob's former team-mate Kevin Sinfield has raised more than £8 million for MND charities by taking on a number of physical challenges in recent years, including seven ultra-marathons in seven days, and now Burrow will embark on her own fundraising quest.
'It's going to be tough emotionally because it's the first one after Rob's passing, and it's a really tough course,' Burrow explains to Telegraph Sport of the Leeds race.
'Running London, I feel like I have set myself up for a challenge. This is unknown territory for me because it took me two days to walk down the stairs after I ran Yorkshire last time. It's going to be an emotional day. For me, it's just going to be trying to kind of soak in the atmosphere and just get round the course the best I can.'
She laughs as she recalls fighting against being overtaken by someone dressed as a minion in the inaugural Rob Burrow Marathon in 2023, but the conversation turns more serious when it comes to what she will be wearing in London.
Every year since her late husband Rob was diagnosed, Leeds Rhinos have held a charity MND game with players wearing a specially-designed shirt, and Burrow will be sporting a version of that in London.
'This year on the shirt, it's got a silhouette of Rob and 200 names on it – 196 of all the players Rob played with, then myself and the children's names are on the top where his head is as well,' she says, before adding: 'I'll feel like I'm carrying Rob with me in spirit. I feel like Rob will be with me on the day, probably going, 'Come on, run a bit faster Linds'.'
'I'm excited to visit London'
Having honed her running skills doing ultra marathons in the hills around Kathmandu and racing up to Everest's Base Camp, the London Marathon might seem straightforward, but Asma BishwaKarma's journey to the event has been longer than most.
After losing her mother aged 10 and spending much of her childhood doing hard labour in a brick kiln, BishwaKarma now fosters hopes of becoming a professional runner and will be among the first wave of elite athletes in London.
Born in West Nepal in a small village called Ropa, the remote area known for being the epicentre for armed rebel groups, BishwaKarma is one of five siblings who moved to Kathmandu after the death of her mother.
She found work first in a brick kiln, then a small restaurant and later in a family guesthouse, where she looked after their children and earned just over £30 a month. Aged 16 and having had no formal education, BishwaKarma was rescued by a local charity and offered the chance to attend school.
Now 22, BishwaKarma will run the marathon to help raise money for that charity, Child Rescue Nepal. For her, running is not just a sport but a means to see the world. She has never been outside of Nepal and, with the help of a translator, says she is 'very excited' to visit London and is keen to see the seaside.
Ahead of London, she has been scouring YouTube for footage of the race. She is looking forward to seeing Tower Bridge and Buckingham Palace on her 26.2-mile route around the capital, although as an athlete the main focus has been on what to pack in her limited luggage allowance to allow for the UK's changeable April weather.
'I'm running on my 18th birthday'
Most teenagers might spend their 18th birthday celebrating with friends or family, but Lucy Jones will be running the London Marathon.
When asked about her friends' reaction to her decision, Jones says: 'They think it's incredible, they're very proud of me.
'My friends just go out for a drink on their birthday and for me to be doing a marathon… I'm actually running something that's so hard, not many people run a marathon in their lifetime, so for me to actually do it and on my 18th birthday, it's just crazy. It doesn't feel real.'
Jones is the youngest competitor in the 2025 edition of the marathon and will be running the race alongside her father Chris, with the pair planning to cross the finish line on the Mall hand in hand.
Lucy will be wearing a Macmillan shirt with 'Mum' on the back in memory of her mother, while Chris will be raising money for the Asthma and Lung Foundation in honour of his mother and Lucy's grandmother, who passed away last April.
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