After being shortlisted for the last two years, and winning silver in 2016, this year, the race that has captured the attention of the running community scoops Gold in the “Best Half Marathon” category at the 2017 UK Running Awards.

The JCP Swansea Half Marathon was awarded gold after receiving the most votes by runners at the only independent awards ceremony that celebrates the best of running and its culture.  The event took place at Indigo in the O2 on Thursday (20^th April) where Tash Smith, Race Co-ordinator was presented with the trophy from the BBC’s Mike Bushell, in front of a room full of A-list names from the running and sports industry, making the award the most sought after and coveted amongst races across the UK.

Race Director David Martin-Jewell said: “This is simply incredible, I still consider our race to be new on the scene and to win this after such a short existence is absolutely amazing! On behalf of the entire team, I want to say a big thank you to everyone who has voted for the JCP Swansea Half Marathon and helped us bring Gold back to Swansea and making us the Best Half Marathon in the UK. It is an honour for us to win this and it is a testament to just how much our race means to our runners, the people of Wales and beyond.”

“We receive fantastic support from our runners and volunteers a like, without which, we would not have such a successful race, nor have the ability to win against some very big and well established races. This award is a fantastic platform for Swansea as a race destination, raising the profile of the JCP Swansea Half Marathon on a national level, which I hope will help elevate the profile of the race even more.”

The JCP Swansea Half Marathon takes place in only 9 weeks on Sunday 25^th June 2017 on fully closed roads. The flat, fast course is perfect for beginners, first time half marathon runners and charity runners, whilst also attracting a large elite field from Wales and beyond to #RunSwansea. Race entries are open and public places cost only £28 for affiliated athletes and £30 for non-affiliated runners, which includes a fully marshaled course on closed roads, bespoke medal, technical t-shirt, on route entertainment, post race massage and goody bag for all finishers. A total of 8,000 places are available with 85% of spaces already taken, there is no better time to register your place than now.

Go to www.swanseahalfmarathon.co.uk for further race details and to sign up, like the Facebook page www.facebook.com/SwanseaHalf and follow @Swansea_HM #RunSwansea #FromTheCityToTheSea on Twitter and @swanseahalfmarathon on Instagram to keep up to date with all the latest news about the JCP Swansea Half Marathon.