WARM-UP OPEN WATER NEWS
F3 ADDS 10KM SWIM CHALLENGE
Race organiser F3 Events has teamed up with nutrition company Maxifuel to host a 10km mass-participation open water swim on 10 September this year at Bray Lakes near Maidenhead. Shorter events of 5km, 2.5km and 1.25km will also be on offer.
“5km is a challenge, but 10km swimming is really iconic and I think the next marathon distance swimmers will be looking for,” said Martyn Edwards, race director of F3 Events. Edwards was prompted to put on the event by what he sees as a lack of long-distance swimming events in the open water calendar. “The Dart [10km] swim sold out and this is the only other option for people to have a go at the distance before the season ends.” F3 Events plans to cater for both wetsuited and non-wetsuited competitors. For more details see:
f3events.co.uk
SWIM THE CHANNEL… IN A POOL
Diabetes UK has issued a challenge to swimmers to swim 22 miles – the width of the English Channel – in their local pools. The challenge runs from 22 August to 22 November and you can do the distance all in one day or break it into more manageable portions over the three months. And, if you want to swim the actual Channel as part of a Diabetes UK relay team in 2012, the charity would love to hear from you and possibly see you at training weekend in Dover in September. Email
swim22@diabetes.org.uk to register your interest in either challenge.
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A MIDNIGHT SWIM… IN BROAD DAYLIGHT
There aren’t too many places you can tax
yourself with a 1500m or 3000m open water swim in full daylight at 11.45pm, but the Luleå Midnight Swim in Swedish Lapland (luleamidnightswim. com) offered just that
opportunity to a select group of swimmers on 1-2 July. The swim, which took place
for the first time this year, has been greeted as a rising star of Swedish open water competitions, atracting a field of 92 competitors for
the 1500m race, and 99 for the 3000m. Entrants were predominantly from Sweden but some travelled to Luleå from other parts of Scandinavia and even much further afield. The 3000m event saw a few swimmers from Brazil, South Africa, Australia and Canada competing next to the home crowd. Both races took a route contouring the local coastline, with the 3000m race starting at Luleå’s bustling waterfront. With revellers out enjoying the Lapland summer evening in the area’s bars and restaurants, the atmosphere at the start line was lively and brimming with enthusiasm. Water and air temperatures hovered around 19°C, and wetsuits were used by the majority of entrants, but many favoured short sleeves/ legs rather than full coverage. Josefin Lillhage of Väsby in
Swimming off into the sunset – at midnight
THE ICE MEN COMETH… TO AFRICA
Africa is the last place you think of having to swim in cold water, but that was where 35 swimmers braved 5°C waters on 23 July. The second annual Speedo Ice Swim Africa, which took place at Nuwedam, Fraserburg, in the heart of the South African winter, invited hardcore athletes to pit their strength against the icy waters – and a zero-degree wind-chill – to raise money for charity. Sixteen swimmers, led by six extreme ‘ice swimmers’, atempted a mile without wetsuits, while another 19 individuals swam 600m. Among the daredevils was Ram Barkai, founder of the International Ice Swimming Association, who has been filmed for Stan
Sweden won the 1500m event with a time of 19 minutes and 46 seconds, while the 3000m race was won by Tobias Marklund, who took 38:09 to finish, and 25 others successfully completed the “Midnight Classic” which was both the 1500m and 3000m races. Lara Dunn
Lee’s Superhumans TV series, thanks to his ability to swim at lethally cold water temperatures.
Many of the participants emerged from the sea with discoloured skin, struggling to walk or talk, and spent up to an hour in temporary medical facilities. However, they did raise R15,000 (£1,400) for local schools. For more see
speedoiceswim.co.za
Photo © Lara Dunn
Photo © Speedo/ Michael Walker
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