CHALLENGE
Ambitious challenges conquered by outdoor swimmers.
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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…
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Round the river bend at Vansbrosimningen
Rowan Clarke battles wardrobe malfunctions and upriver swimming at Sweden’s oldest swimming festival
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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…
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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…
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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
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Swim London 10km – Trial Swim
Olympic swimmer Toby Robinson is creating an exciting new swimming challenge in London
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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…
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Mediterranean Dreams
Rowan Clarke tries ‘bookending’ the open water season with a dream swim in Antalya, Türkiye
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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…
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Event Review: Winter Swimming World Championships, Oulu, Finland
Ice, sauna and auroras – Rowan Clarke discovers the wonders of racing in the ice in Finland
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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…
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Event review: Barbados Open Water Swim Festival
Reader Alison Atfield decided to travel to Barbados alone for a new challenge
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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.
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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…
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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…
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Swimming from Denmark to Germany
Netherlands swimmer Marjan Brouwer took part in the 2025 edition of Fördercrossing, a 3km swim from Sønderhavn to Glücksburg
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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.…
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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…
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Gritty Rascals Swimrun Coniston
For his first swimrun in seven years, Jonathan Cowie took on a 47+km race in the Lake District
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Sophie Etheridge’s UltraSwim
What happens when you have an event team that is made up of swimmers, endurance athletes and coaches alongside a…
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How to set a world swimming record
In September 2025, George Taplin smashed the record for a wetsuit swim of the length of Windermere. We asked him…
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Brighton Triple Crown: Event Review 2025
Iconic location, great atmosphere and, in 2025, tough conditions Brighton Triple Crown. End of September 2025. A bright but breezy…
