Cancer Survivor Richard Lovell only realised how much he enjoyed running after his diagnosis

It actually pushed him to start running religiously, not missing a single Saturday for the past decade.

Early detection was key for the O'Connor resident who spent months fighting testicular cancer in his early 30s.

"I wasn't scared at the time, I had a real positive outlook," Mr Lovell said.

However, chemotherapy still weighed heavy on him. He felt weak and worn out during his treatment and was forced to take a break from everything.

Mr Lovell said one of his greatest strengths was self-belief. He never stopped believing he could overcome the illness.

"Modern medicine, with surgery and chemotherapy is a big part to play in [recovery], but at the time, a positive mindset made it easier for myself to live with [cancer] and other people as well," he said. "I [also] have a supportive family, which is my wife and parents."

When it came to beating such a deadly disease, Mr Lovell said it was important set personal goals for himself, something he could look forward to.

Before he could even walk to the letter box outside his home, Mr Lovell decided he wanted to run a marathon.

He was always a runner but only realised how much he enjoyed it until he couldn't do it anymore.

"I set myself a running goal, and that was really good," he said. "I did the Adelaide marathon."

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Several marathons and weekly Parkruns later, Mr Lovell moved to the ACT. He decided to run the Canberra Times Fun Run half marathon for the first time last year.

He was enrolled and ready but an emergency pulled him interstate at the last minute. This year, he said he is looking forward to completing his goal of running 21.1kms around the capital.

"It gives you a reason to get out of bed in the mornings," Mr Lovell said.

Time is precious and there's never enough of it to do the things you love, according to him.

"I didn't realise until almost too late in life how much I love running," he said.

"If you enjoy something, I would recommend doing it. Don't leave it too late because you never know when the chance is gone."

Mr Lovell will turn 48 two days before running the half marathon. Finally finishing it will be the most satisfying birthday present, according to him.

The Canberra Times Fun Run will be held on November 5. Four distances to choose from - 2km, 5km, 10km, and 21.1km. Register at solemotive.com/pages/canberra-fun-run-home

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