St Albans Professor to run London Marathon after shock diagnosis

As someone who classed herself ‘as not really a runner’, this year Carole-Anne Upton hopes to proudly complete three marathons. This includes the iconic London Marathon in April, followed by the Sydney Marathon a few months later.

Carole-Anne, who relocated to Singapore from St Albans in Hertfordshire last year for work, says she ‘kind of fell into running’ after realising she could exercise both herself and her two dogs before work – with the added bonus of 15 extra minutes in bed!

She said: “I was never really into sports when I was at school and I’m not exactly a natural athlete. But after I left school, I developed a love of outdoor pursuits. First skiing, then rowing and then I ventured into road cycling as a sport in my forties. But with work and parenthood, it became increasingly difficult to find the time to go cycling, so I started running. Eventually I was cycling less and less and running more until I suddenly noticed that I actually quite liked this thing I thought I hated – running! It is great for both my mental and physical health.”

Turning a negative into a positive with the London Marathon

Carole-Anne, 58, is running the London Marathon on April 27 to raise funds for Breast Cancer UK after her own breast cancer diagnosis in 2021.

The mum-of-one said: “Being told I had breast cancer was a complete shock. I felt fit and well. Except I wasn’t fit and well. I had breast cancer. I remember saying to the consultant ‘why me, why is this happening?’ and she just said, ‘bad luck’. But that wasn’t good enough for me, for me that’s not how science works.”

Breast Cancer is the most common cancer amongst women in the UK with around 56,000 new cases every year. Yet, at least 30% of breast cancers could be avoided if prevention was made a priority by policymakers and public health officials.

“How many women are in your family? Your workplace? Your friendship groups? I’ve got a daughter, a sister, we’ve all got friends and family. Breast Cancer is the most common cancer amongst women in the UK, with cases rising, and around a third of these cases are preventable. Cancer will touch us all, unless we can change things.”

Knowledge is power

Breast Cancer UK provides practical advice and tips on ways to reduce your risk. This includes opting for fragrance-free cosmetics and toiletries, and using wood or glass when cooking, eating and drinking. Find out more here.

“I really like that Breast Cancer UK are going right back to the prevention end of the spectrum. We need to focus on prevention, as well as treatment. That’s why I’m so proud to be running for Breast Cancer UK,” Carole-Anne added.

She admits that even as a ‘highly educated person’ (she’s a professor), like many people she wasn’t aware of the harmful chemicals that can be found in everyday household products and beauty items.

“In the end my brush with breast cancer was relatively light. But it made me determined to turn a negative into a positive,” she added. The day before her surgery she took part in a 5km virtual race and after her radiotherapy had finished, she took part in a 10km race – raising money for the cancer centre treating her, Mount Vernon in Northwood.

Carole-Anne ran the race with her sister. As she crossed the finish line, her name was called out letting spectators know she was a patient at the centre.

Today Carole-Anne is still receiving some treatment and has regular mammograms but is otherwise doing well, thanks to the ‘wonderful care’ provided by West Herts Breast Cancer Trust.

Contending with the climate

The London Marathon will not be Carole-Anne’s first rodeo. She took part in the Boston Marathon in Lincolnshire in 2024, something she admits was ‘pretty horrendous’.

A member of the St Albans Striders running club, she said: “The weather was awful. The roads were all flooded and there was horizontal, frozen rain. I hadn’t practised fuelling properly and although I was in good shape I hadn’t really developed the stamina for a marathon.”

She knew if she was to attempt another marathon, it would be the iconic London Marathon. However, she’s keen not to have a repeat performance and has been following a training schedule.

Finding time to train in Singapore with a busy job as deputy vice chancellor of James Cook University can be challenging. She also has to contend with the hot, humid weather in the city. The temperature averages in the high 20s, reaching an average daily high of over 32 degrees and the humidity can be up to 99%.

She added: “I have to stop all the time when I do the long runs. It’s just so tiring with the heat and humidity. But I have managed 30 kilometres a couple of times already. My real aim is just to get round in one piece to be honest and hopefully have a better experience compared to the first time.”

From London to Sydney

On the day, Carole-Anne hopes to be cheered on by her daughter Rose, 24, and other family members. And she won’t be hanging up her running shoes for a well-deserved rest afterwards, as she recently found out she’s secured a ballot place for the TCS Sydney Marathon in August.

She has set herself a target of raising £2,000 for Breast Cancer UK and says each donation spurs her on to train even harder.

“With each one, I remember why I’m doing this. I’m so grateful to Breast Cancer UK and all my generous supporters for letting me do this and help prevent breast cancer for countless other people at the same time,” she added.

To make a donation visit Carole-Anne’s JustGiving or Enthuse page. Please note, JustGiving can process all currencies from UK banks, while Enthuse only processes GBP but from any bank.

If Carole-Anne’s story has inspired you to take on a challenge of your own to support Breast Cancer UK, simply click here to find out how you can get involved in your own fundraising effort. 

• awareness
• BCUK
• Breast cancer
• breast cancer prevention
• Breast Cancer UK
• cancer
• Challenge
• charities
• Fundraise
• prevention