Morecambe warehouse boss sheds 13 stone in a year to run the London Marathon for Macmillan cancer charity

Owen Rowlands, from Morecambe, will take on the 26.2 mile run on Sunday April 23 and hopes to raise more than £2,500 for Macmillan Cancer Support.

The 23-year-old embarked on his incredible weight loss journey in January 2022 when he could not find any clothes to fit him for a weekend break to London with his friends.

So, coupled with healthier eating, he started walking six miles every day from his home to Morecambe promenade and back. He then joined a gym where he did spin classes up to three times a day and he has dropped down from 26 to 13 stone – half his body weight!

And he was motivated to run the London Marathon for Macmillan which supported his grandma Ann before she died from lung cancer in 2006, and because his mum Mandy was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017. Fortunately, Mandy was given the all clear last year.

Owen, who works at Air Filtration Solutions in Longridge, said: “I’ve always been a bit heavy and I like my food but portion size was always an issue but when I couldn’t find any clothes to fit me for a lad’s weekend away, I thought enough was enough. I decided to lose weight by exercising and eating a better diet which has been really tough but there was no point doing it in half measures.

“However, when I told my mum I was doing a marathon she laughed and then my mates thought I was joking too but I’m determined and I wanted to prove them wrong and so far, so good. I was the laziest person in the world but now I feel so much better and if I can do it anyone can.

"I also know the great support that Macmillan provides to people affected by cancer when they need it most and that has been an inspiration and a great motivation for me to keep going and run the London Marathon for such a fantastic cause.”

Owen’s health kick saw him lose 10 stones by last September and he has also taken part in a Tough Mudder in Chester and a half marathon in Aintree – and now he is ready for the second largest annual road race in the UK.

The keen hiker said: “I can’t wait now and I feel really excited, and I just want to get there and do it. Mum is amazed and so proud of me and I’m much happier too but this is just the start of the journey for me. I’m not going to give up and I might even consider another bigger and better fundraiser in the future.”

Owen, who is just £100 short of his £2.5K fundraising target, plans to celebrate completing the London Marathon – and his 24th birthday in May – with a meal out with friends and a well-earned weekend away in Dublin.

Louise Osgood, Macmillan’s Relationship Fundraising Manager for Lancashire, said: “All funds raised by London Marathon runners for Macmillan help us continue to support people living with cancer physically, financially and emotionally. On behalf of Macmillan Cancer Support, I’d like to say a huge thank you to Owen who has chosen to run for Macmillan this year. His fundraising will help us continue doing whatever it takes for people living with cancer.”

Anyone wanting to support Owen and donate to Macmillan can visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/owenvrowlands