MORE than 4,700 children and women raised £142,000 to help beat cancer at a bumper weekend of Race for Life events in Swansea.

Waves of pink and splatters of mud filled Museum Green and Singleton Park for Cancer Research UK’s annual Pretty Muddy and traditional 5k and 10k Race for Life events.

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Children joined in for the first time and tackled a range of obstacles to crawl under, clamber over and charge through for the charity’s new Pretty Muddy Kids event – all to raise vital funds for Cancer Research UK.

Suzanne Churchouse and Kirsty Singleton from Port Talbot, signed up for Race for Life in memory of their friend, Shane Pitman, who died from stomach cancer at the age of 26.

“Shane was a truly fantastic and inspirational person who couldn’t do enough for anyone,” said Suzanne. “Unfortunately, he lost his short battle with stomach cancer at the age of 26. He had three children and was just about to get married.

“We wanted to take part in memory of Shane as well as raising awareness and funds for Cancer Research UK.”

Ruth Amies, from Cancer Research UK, said:

“It was a fantastic bumper weekend of events which raised a phenomenal amount for Cancer Research UK. This was the first time we’d brought the new Pretty Muddy Kids event to Swansea and it was wonderful to see so many youngsters getting muddy to support life-saving research.

“Every day, around 52 people are diagnosed with cancer in Wales. Money raised from Race for Life – whether it’s £10 or £100 – will help Cancer Research UK scientists find new ways to treat cancer and save more lives.”

Cancer Research UK’s life-saving work relies on the public’s support. Thanks to the generosity of its supporters, the charity was able to spend around £4 million last year in Wales on some of the UK’s leading scientific and clinical research – helping more men, women and children survive.

One in two people in the UK will be diagnosed with cancer at some stage in their lives, but the good news is more people are surviving the disease now than ever before. Cancer survival in the UK has doubled since the early 1970s and Cancer Research UK’s work has been at the heart of that progress.

Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life, in partnership with Tesco, is an inspiring women-only series of 5k, 10k, Pretty Muddy, Half Marathon and Hiking events which raise millions of pounds every year to help beat cancer sooner by funding vital research.

For more information visit raceforlife.org or call 0300 123 0770.