Breast Cancer Survivor Runs NYC Marathon Topless
Lauren Spiezia, a 32-year-old New Jersey mother, finished the race in four hours and 54 minutes while running for Memorial Sloan Kettering's Fred's Team.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Cancer
Lauren Spiezia completed the New York City Marathon topless on Sunday, finishing in four hours and 54 minutes. She ran as an official member of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center's Fred's Team and used anti-chafing tape as makeshift support during the race.
Why it matters
Spiezia said she is running to raise awareness for women and men in treatment and for women unaware of their risk. Her diagnosis at age 31 and her BRCA2 mutation highlight that breast cancer can affect people well before typical screening age.
Spiezia completed 16 rounds of chemotherapy and eight rounds of immunotherapy after diagnosis with stage 2 triple-negative cancer in one breast and stage 1 ER/PR-positive cancer in the other. Roughly 1 in 8 U.S. women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, and the source does not report her current prognosis.
The players
Lauren Spiezia
A 32-year-old New Jersey mother and breast cancer survivor who ran the New York City Marathon topless to raise awareness.
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
A New York City cancer hospital whose Fred's Team runners raise funds and awareness for cancer care and research.
The details
Spiezia found a lump in her breast, which an initial ultrasound read as benign before a breast surgeon sent her for a mammogram, biopsy, and MRI. She underwent a mastectomy and reconstruction and carries the BRCA2 gene mutation, and she used anti-chafing tape as support while running the 26.2-mile course topless.
Timeline
Age 31: Spiezia was diagnosed with breast cancer and found to carry the BRCA2 mutation.
Sunday, November 1, 2026: Spiezia completed the New York City Marathon topless.
Patient Advocacy
Spiezia's run as an official member of Memorial Sloan Kettering's Fred's Team places a patient's personal story within the hospital's established charity marathon program. Her decision to run topless ties the event to breast cancer awareness, a cause the source connects to her BRCA2 mutation and diagnosis at age 31.
Spiezia's story underscores that women with a BRCA2 mutation or a family history may face breast cancer risk earlier than typical screening age. Readers who find a lump should seek a prompt evaluation, as Spiezia's case began with a physical discovery and led to a mammogram, biopsy, and MRI.
The takeaway
Spiezia's experience shows that a lump should be evaluated even when an initial ultrasound is benign. Her case also illustrates how a genetic mutation can change screening decisions for people in their thirties.
Further reading
Explore more cancer coverage to see how awareness efforts like this one fit into broader treatment and prevention news.
