CHALLENGE
Ambitious challenges conquered by outdoor swimmers.
Riding the Tide: Swim London’s Speedy 10K
A strong current turns Swim London’s 10km down the tidal Thames into a surprisingly speedy adventure. Simon Griffiths gave it…
Swimming the Hellespont: navigating the current from Europe to Asia
Swimming the Hellespont is unlike any other open-water event, with a fast-moving current, tricky navigation and 1,500 swimmers crossing the…
Swimming into a fairytale
A fairytale lake, a 5km challenge and crystal-clear mountain rivers: Abigail Whyte heads to Slovenia for X-Waters and discovers an…
Going against the Flow in France
Le Flow des Gabarriers, an incredible 33km journey down the River Charente in Southwestern France, is a highlight of Ben…
Round the river bend at Vansbrosimningen
Rowan Clarke battles wardrobe malfunctions and upriver swimming at Sweden’s oldest swimming festival
Back to Bantham: rediscovering the joy of event swimming
After spending years volunteering for the Outdoor Swimming Society’s Bantham Swoosh, Ella Foote returned to Bantham to take part in…
Three crossings, one challenge: meet the Viking Triple Crown
Inspired by Viking maritime history, the new challenge brings together the English Channel, SwimÖresund and Beltquerung in one ambitious goal…
King of the Thames: a classic river swim gets a fresh twist
Simon Griffiths takes to the Thames to experience SwimQuest’s new 3km swim from Hampton Court to Kingston
What do you think about when swimming?
Swimmer, coach and copywriter Gert Hardeman completed the 6km event at Vidösternsimmet in Sweden. He shares what went through his…
Around the Isle of Wight: a relay swim like no other
What began as a deeply personal tribute to family became a 21-hour relay around the Isle of Wight. Sami Robertson…
The magic of an island swim
Ben Lane visits Porto Santo for the Madeira Island Ultra Swim and discovers an event that blends world-class racing, welcoming…
Swim London 10km – Trial Swim
Olympic swimmer Toby Robinson is creating an exciting new swimming challenge in London
Returning to Windermere: my Great North Swim experience
A personal return to the Great North Swim at Lake Windermere, reflecting on open water swimming, inclusivity, and the journey…
Mediterranean Dreams
Rowan Clarke tries ‘bookending’ the open water season with a dream swim in Antalya, Türkiye
Turquoise dreams: Preparing to swim X-Waters Antalya
The crystal-clear, 20°C Mediterranean waters of Antalya are the stuff of swimming dreams. Read our top swimcation tips ready to…
Event Review: Winter Swimming World Championships, Oulu, Finland
Ice, sauna and auroras – Rowan Clarke discovers the wonders of racing in the ice in Finland
Event Review: Winter Swimming World Cup, Skellefteå, Sweden
Ella Foote travels to Northern Sweden to take part in the Winter Swimming World Cup in Skellefteå and learns that…
Event review: Barbados Open Water Swim Festival
Reader Alison Atfield decided to travel to Barbados alone for a new challenge
Event review: The Really Cold Swim Championships 2026
Long distance and ice swimmer Jo Jones reports on this year’s event at Rother Valley Country Park.
What swimming events are we looking forward to in 2026?
From ice swimming to the balmy blue Adriatic, an end-to-end lake swim to dipping toes back into event swimming after…
Lake Bled: a fairytale swim
One of the most beautiful swim destinations in the world, Lake Bled plays host to an exciting swim event for…
Swimming from Denmark to Germany
Netherlands swimmer Marjan Brouwer took part in the 2025 edition of Fördercrossing, a 3km swim from Sønderhavn to Glücksburg
What’s better – swimming 30km in a river or 30km in the sea?
Ben Lane did some thinking and devised a plan to swim and compare 30km by river and 30km by sea.…
The Festive Dip List 2025
What better way to clear your head after Christmas than to run full pelt into the sea? Plan your swim…
Gritty Rascals Swimrun Coniston
For his first swimrun in seven years, Jonathan Cowie took on a 47+km race in the Lake District
