The organisers of the JCP Swansea Half Marathon have confirmed that amongst the numerous bands that will be performing live on race day, Welsh opera singer Ros Evans will be leading singing AND running – on Sunday 26th June 2016.

Swansea-born Ros will be sending runners on their way by singing with the all-female Mum’s the Word adult choir and the Mumbles Youth Opera Group at the start of the race, which will set off from the junction of Union Street and Oxford Street at 9am.

Mum’s the Word was set up by Ros herself two years ago, in response to demand for a female singing group and as a way to raise money for local and national causes. The choir, which has sung at a number of major events, comprises 50 lady choristers and this year they are supporting the Special Care Baby Unit at Singleton Hospital as their main charity. The ladies will be joined by one of Ros’s other choirs, Mumbles Youth Opera Group, and the youngsters are particularly excited at the prospect of singing at Wales’ second largest half marathon.

Both choirs and Ros are delighted to have been invited to such a high profile and well-organised event, and together they promise to deliver a heart-stirring performance that will have emotions running high as runners wait to depart.

Ros will then be donning her own running shoes to join the 8,000 participants of the third JCP Swansea Half Marathon this summer.

The presence of Welsh star Ros Evans is a fitting start to the race which has recently been voted the UK’s second best half marathon after winning Silver at The 2016 Running Awards in association with JustGiving. Indeed, the JCP Swansea Half Marathon has fast become a favourite among the running community offering a flat, fast and scenic 13.1 mile course that is suitable for runners of all levels including first-time half marathon runners, charity runners and club runners. It also attracts a large elite field from Wales and beyond to #RunSwansea, last year bringing in athletes from 25 countries.

Race Director David Martin-Jewell commented: “We are honoured to welcome Ros Evans and her highly regarded choirs to the JCP Swansea Half Marathon. She is a true Welsh star and she will provide an inspiring send-off to all those at the start line. We are absolutely delighted that she will then be running the half marathon herself. She will be a great inspiration to other runners and it really does prove that running is a sport for everyone. We would like to wish everyone, including Ros, the very best of luck at what is set to be our best race yet.”

Ros Evans was born in Mumbles and was educated at King’s College, London, and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Ros has appeared at some of the world’s most prestigious concert platforms including Sydney Opera House and Paris Opera. In addition to her operatic roles, Ros appears regularly on television and radio, contributing opinion on both current affairs and singing matters as well as providing commentary for Cardiff Singer of the World. After the JCP Swansea Half Marathon Ros has a strong line-up of future engagements such as further appearances at Welsh National Opera and concert performances with Swansea’s own Pontarddulais Male Voice Choir.

The JCP Swansea Half Marathon starts in the heart of the city centre and the route takes runners on fully closed roads past Swansea castle and along a magnificent six-mile stretch of Swansea Bay towards The Mumbles and back.

There will be musical entertainment along various points of the route to keep the athletes spirits running high, with FOUR bands, a choir, an operatic ensemble, and an up and coming DJ offering music from all genres; this course is set to become a musical extravaganza.

Nick Francis, technical director said: “Last year we introduced a number of bands to our race for the first time along the route and as a result we have been able to build on that to create “Bands Across The Bay” for 2016. This offers Welsh talent the ability to showcase their material to a massive audience who will be running the course as well as spectators on the route. This year we are pleased to introduce: Mum’s The Word, Mumbles Youth Opera, Little Folk, Writing On The Skyline, Vocal Harmony, Daisy White and the up and coming DJ John Hughes. We really hope that our runners enjoy the entertainment on course and any musicians wishing to perform in “Bands Across The Bay” can get in touch with the team at Swansea Half Marathon on the details below.”

All public places have been sold, however those who have missed out on general entry can still take part by choosing to run for one of the official charities including; Headline Charity Partner Cancer Research UK, Gold Charity Partners Alzheimer’s Society, British Heart Foundation, Help for Heroes, Save the Children and Community Charity Partner Swans Community Trust.

Any bands wishing to perform can visit the website http://www.swanseahalfmarathon.co.uk/bands-across-the-bay/ for further details or contact the team on 01792 277310 or email: info@swanseahalfmarathon.co.uk

Like the Facebook page www.facebook.com/SwanseaHalf and follow @Swansea_HM #RunSwansea #FromTheCityToTheSea on Twitter.