British pop star Sophie Ellis-Bextor is urging her female fans to sign up for a women-only cancer run for charity.

The singer has posed with the words 'Beat it cancer' scrawled across her body to encourage women to take part in Cancer Research Uk's Race For Life.

The sporting events, held annually across the U.K., have raised more than $788 million (£493 million) since 1994 for research to help beat 200 types of cancer.

Ellis-Bextor says, "I'd urge every woman out there to send a defiant message to cancer by signing up to a Race for Life event... I'm really happy to support Race For Life because I think Cancer Research Uk is a very important charity. My husband (The Feeling bassist Richard Jones) actually went to their headquarters recently and saw the research that's happening there. He was blown away by what's going on and how exciting it is and how vital it is."