Tash Smith

Every October, people come together around the world to show their support for those affected by breast cancer. This year, we wanted to share Jo’s story about her journey with breast cancer and how the team at Maggie’s have supported Jo and her family through this.

“The hardest part of being diagnosed is that you no longer live the life you have been living. You are all of a sudden not in the routine you had been.”

Jo’s son was 5 years old when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. The team at Maggie’s supported her with talking to her son about her diagnosis. She was also supported by the psychologist and took part in Look Good Feel Better and Talking Heads, which she says, helped her regain her identity.

“Knowing how to talk to my child about what we were going through and to understand that I can have an honest conversation was key in my journey.”

Jo was hospitalized over Christmas but was allowed out on Christmas Eve so that she could wake up William on Christmas Day. After they’d opened their presents, she had to go back in.

Jo credits Maggie’s with getting her through her diagnosis. And because of this, her family have held multiple Kitchen Table Days, raising over £13,000.

“Whilst I was out of my normal routine, Maggie’s became my new normal routine and became my safe place.”

If you need support for yourself or your family, please contact the team at Maggie’s and visit the Maggie’s website for more information.

It’s important to touch, look and check (head here for further information) and you can learn more about secondary breast cancer here.

Maggie’s Swansea is based in the grounds of Singleton Hospital, and relies on fundraising and donations to keep their doors open for those who need help and support. If you want to fundraise for Maggie’s Swansea in 2023, then why not sign up and #RunSwansea on 11th June – head here to find out how you can help Maggie’s Swansea.

With the 2021 JCP Swansea Half Marathon on the horizon, we wanted to help you prepare for the event this coming Sunday (17th October). Check out our top tips to help you get race ready for when you #RunSwansea.

– No new kit – Make sure you’ve used your running kit in your training runs to avoid any blisters and chaffing.

– Race number – Your race pack will have been sent to you prior to race day. Ensure you bring your race number (the timing chip will be on the back) and safety pins to pin it onto your tee/vest. There will not be a facility to collect a spare race number if you forget yours. Make sure you fill in the medical information on the back of the race number.

– Plan your journey – Make sure you’ve planned your journey to and from the event. This year’s race is an early start, and no late arrivals will be allowed to start the race once all runners have started. Don’t forget to plan your journey away from the event too.

– Nutrition & Hydration – Ensure you’ve had a good breakfast (something you’ve had before your training runs that your body is used to) and that you’ve hydrated well. If you’re running with a hydration pack, make sure you get this ready with the rest of your kit.

– Listen to announcements – The start of the race will be slightly different this year, listen to the announcements in the assembly area at St Helen’s to ensure you don’t miss your start. Always listen to the marshals out on the route, they’re there to help you.

– Start slow – Pace yourself at the start of the race, it’s easy to set off to fast when you’re amongst other runners. Remember how you’ve trained and stick to your race plan.

– Be sensible – If you’re not feeling well, please do not come to the event. There will always be other races.

And remember, DON’T BE A RISKY RUNNER – you must never wear someone else’s race number. You must complete the medical details on the reverse of your race number. If you have a medical condition, we need to be aware of please mark the front of your race number with a red x.

All of the Front Runner Events Team are looking forward to welcoming you to Swansea on Sunday, and whether you’re running your first race, running for charity, or hunting down a personal best, we wish you all the very best of luck. See you on the Start Line!

Swansea will see the return of the much-anticipated race of the year next Sunday as runners will adorn the city’s streets to take part in the JCP Swansea Half Marathon. The event’s seventh edition is being held at 8 am on Sunday 17th October 2021 and will be Wales’ biggest half marathon road race since March 2020.

A staggering 28 months have passed since the event was last hosted in the city. Organisers of the JCP Swansea Half Marathon have gone to extraordinary lengths to ensure the event is delivered safely for all participants despite the additional challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

David Martin-Jewell, Race Director, said:

“It has been an extremely difficult time for us as event organisers, but we are very excited to finally be able to deliver our flagship event for Swansea. Whilst we have implemented additional protocols to ensure everyone’s safety at our event, we are keen to make sure that our runners still have a great race day experience.”

“As a team of runners, we know what our participants value and expect on race day. Our experience and involvement in other events across the UK over the last 18 months put us in a good position to deliver a 

quality event that is synonymous with the JCP Swansea Half Marathon.”

As we all have experienced changes in the last 18 months, there are a few to be expected at the event to ensure everyone’s safety. There will be designated hand sanitiser points as well as anti-bacterial wipes and masks available should anyone need them at the start and finish areas. Runner etiquette is encouraged, so giving space and being courteous to others is a must.

Safety first

To help keep people safe, everyone attending the event are strongly recommended to take a lateral flow test within 24 hours before the race start time. Tests can be obtained from your local collection point or pharmacy. Results MUST be negative to attend the event, and all results will need to be submitted to: https://bit.ly/3s2rXKg

Spectators

We all know how important it is to see and hear loved ones cheer runners on, so this year spectators are being asked to head to parts of the course instead of the start or finish zones. This helps avoid congestion in these areas, helps us keep the site sterile for the runners, and the support on the route can help spur runners on when they need it the most.

Reduced touchpoints

To reduce contact and the event’s environmental footprint, runners are encouraged to wear hydration belts/vests on the day. However, if that’s not possible, Brecon Carreg will be providing water at miles 4 and 9.5 (approximately) and the finish, which will be contact-free (collection only) and will be on the course to help recycle all waste generated.

Goody bags
This year, the medal and t-shirt collection will be self-service, but runners needn’t worry as all goodies will be bagged, labelled, and ready as they walk through the finish zone.

Cohort of Runners
Hundreds of runners will participate in this event for good causes, raising awareness and much-needed funds for their chosen charity. With many events being cancelled during COVID-19, charities have suffered tremendously. As a result, many will still be raising funds right up to race day for the event charity partners; Maggie’s Swansea, Cancer Research UK, and Diabetes UK Cymru.

That team spirit won’t be missed this year either, as seven companies take on the Corporate Challenge going head-to-head with reigning winners: JCP Solicitors versus the teams at Matthews & Co, HMT Sancta Maria, Brecon Carreg, Carmarthenshire Actif, Arvato Bertelsmann and Swansea University.

Other keen runners will be supporting their clubs, wearing fancy dress, or even running their very first event! So, this year is set to be something very special to everyone, whatever their reason for taking part!

This also extends beyond the main event, with an elite field that never fails to impress. There’s no secret that some remarkable records have been achieved at the JCP Swansea Half Marathon. The current wheelchair record holder Richie Powell gained his title in 2016 and is yet to be beaten in a time of 61:27. The male record was achieved in 2018 by Matt Clowes of Cardiff AAC in a time of 64:43, and the same year Tracy Barlow of Thames Valley Harriers won the female record in 73:50. 

Tash Smith, Event Manager, said:

“It’s always fantastic to see such a brilliant line-up of elite runners at our events. I hope that this year will be no different and that the event provides the opportunity for everyone to strive for improved times and a highly competitive field.”

The wheelchair race will start at 7.55 am before the main field of runners, who start at 8.00 am. Runners will begin at the assembly area in St Helen’s, where they will then be walked around to the Start area at the Brangwyn Hall. The route takes runners on fully closed roads through the city and along a magnificent six-mile stretch of Swansea Bay towards Mumbles and back.

Hayley Davies, CEO of JCP Solicitor’s added:

“It will be great to see runners enjoying the beautiful Swansea Bay once again as they put in their best performances. The atmosphere on race day is always electric, and I’m sure this year will be even more special.”

Essential Information
To find out more details on key timings of the event, travel, road closures, and route map, an essential Race Day Guide has been produced and can be downloaded HERE

Road Closures
As a fully closed road event, some road closures will be in place, so residents and visitors are advised to plan their trips in advance. For further details on how it might affect you, CLICK HERE.

Team Behind The Scenes
The organising team behind the JCP Swansea Half Marathon, Front Runner Events, continues to work tirelessly alongside their trusty team of volunteers, dedicated sector heads and event partners who all help deliver an event Swansea can be proud of. Anyone wishing to help out and be part of an event to remember can contact [email protected] to register their interest. The team continue to work closely with the founding headline sponsors, JCP Solicitors and long-term partners Matthews & Co and HMT Sancta Maria. The event hydration partner remains to be the Welsh favourite Brecon Carreg.

To stay ahead of all the news as it happens by following the pages on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter and tag us in your social posts #RunSwansea #BeYourBest

The JCP Swansea Half Marathon which is due to take place on Sunday 17th October at 8am from the Brangwyn Hall will mean that runners can turn their miles into smiles for the charities they support this year.

Charity fundraising has been severely affected as a result of so many events like the JCP Swansea Half Marathon being postponed or cancelled during the last 18 months. Although the team at Front Runner Events have hosted a series of virtual events to enable runners to maintain their fitness, set targets as well as an opportunity to fundraise, without the main event, the level of charity fundraising is lower than in previous years. 

Tash Smith, Event Manager at Front Runner Events commented:

“We are so happy to be getting back to events this year and being one of the largest fundraising events of the year in Swansea, it offers runners a great opportunity to make their miles go further. It has been great to see runners do their bit to raise funds for the charities we have been working with over the years and we would love to see this continue in 2021.”

Elizabeth Ferrar, Centre Fundraising Organiser of Maggie’s Swansea said:

“When the majority of our fundraising activities had to stop due to the pandemic, this was a major blow to the team at Maggie’s as these events provided much needed income. The JCP Swansea Half Marathon is a big event for us, especially with it being local to our centre. It offers a fantastic platform for fundraising and helps bring in essential funds to the centre. As a registered charity, Maggie’s relies solely on the generosity of their supporters, through 

fundraising and donations so we really would like to give a big thanks to those supporting #TeamMaggies this year and hope to see some new faces join the team!”

Front Runner Events are delighted to announce that there are a number of charity places remaining with their official charity partners. To find the charity important to you go to: www.swanseahalfmarathon.co.uk/run-for-charity/ where you can find out how you can register to run for charity.

The JCP Swansea Half Marathon is a licenced event on fully marshalled, closed roads. It is a flat, fast course that is perfect for beginners, and experienced half marathon runners.

To find out more on the event and what to expect on race day go to: www.swanseahalfmarathon.co.uk

After a challenging year and a half, we’re delighted to announce that we’re finally back!!! We can’t wait to welcome you in October when you join us to #RunSwansea. There will be a few changes to ensure that we keep everyone as safe as possible, but we’re chomping at the bit to finally get our 2021 off to a running start and give you the familiar feel of being at a Front Runner Event.

Some changes will be familiar to you, such as hand sanitiser being available and the wearing of face masks (for those who want to).

However, the biggest change to the event is the start time. We’ve been inundated with requests to confirm the start time since Swansea City F.C announced they’ve moved their game with Cardiff City F.C from Saturday 16th October to 12 noon on Sunday 17th October. As such, the race will start at 08:00. We’re extremely frustrated that we’ve had to do this, but we couldn’t secure another date in the 2021 calendar. So, anyone wanting to run and watch the football at the stadium or in a bar should be able to. The Swans can thank us later!Another change is we’ve arranged for pre-start assembly to take place at St Helen’s Rugby ground. Access is only via the Gorse Lane entrance (opposite the Patti Pavilion/Victoria Park) and the gates will open from 06:30. The access gates will close by 07:45, so you’ll need to be checked into St Helen’s prior to this in order to avoid not participating.

In order to welcome you back and to ease you back into your return to running, we’ve reduced the race capacity to 4000. The intention is to provide as much space as possible to help you move freely and safely.

All other key changes and information can be found within our Covid Safety Event Protocol Guide which you can download here.Race Director, David Martin-Jewell said:

“It’s such a relief to see [all] events finally returning. We have watched many of our peers across the events sector delivering races and gigs across the country and now it’s our turn. We cannot wait to welcome runners back to Swansea.

We didn’t expect to be announcing that we must change the start time, particularly after such a difficult period for us all, but the last thing we need to face is clashing with the Swans v Cardiff. The decision by the club to proceed on the same day as the half has put us under enormous strain and has been hugely frustrating, particularly as we raised our concerns about this this with the club back in June when the fixtures were released. That said, an early start simply means an early finish and hopefully those runners that want to complete the race and get to the game, should be able to.”

The 7th edition of the JCP Swansea Half Marathon will take place on Sunday 17th October 2021, starting at 8am outside of the prestigious Brangwyn Hall. Entries into the race will close at midday on Friday 8th October 2021, unless the course capacity is reached prior to this date.

Sign up today at www.swanseahalfmarathon.co.uk, affiliated entries are £39+bf and general entries are £41+bf. Come and join us as we #RunSwansea this autumn.

The Front Runner Events Team