NEWS

NOWCA unveils venue list for weekly free 400m open water swims

Parkrun has changed the world of running by offering free weekly timed 5km runs in parks, initially in the UK and now around the world. An obvious question is: could something similar work in the world of open water swimming?

NOWCA, which provides open water swimming lake management and timing systems, thinks it can. Working with 20 venues around the UK, NOWCA is launching a free, weekly, 400m timed swim. The event will be open to anyone with a NOWCA wristband, which costs £10 per year and can be used at any NOWCA accredited venue.

The aim of the new “NOWCA Swim”, as the programme is called, is to provide a fun route into the sport for people new to the open water as well as giving more experienced swimmers the opportunity to test themselves under race conditions. The hope is that, like Parkrun, it will tempt more people to become active and provide a gateway to the sport as all of the venues hosting NOWCA Swim also offer additional sessions and training options.

NOWCA was set up in 2010 as the National Open Water Coaching Association to help improve safety standards at open water swimming venues around Great Britain.

Find out more, including additional venues at: http://bit.ly/nowcaswim1


NOWCA Swim venues, days and times

Venue

Day

Time

Netherton OWS

Monday

7.45pm

Oxford Wakeboard & Ski Club Queenford Lakes

Sunday

9.30am

Cliff Lakes

Saturday

TBC

Chasewater Lake

Saturday

7.30am

Liverpool Water Sports Centre

Sunday

10.45am

Ellingham Open Water Swimming

Saturday

7.30am

Tilgate Park

Thursday

TBC

Kernow Adventure Park

Saturday

10.45am

Thorpe Open Water Swimming

Saturday

10.00am

London Royal Docks Open Water Swimming

Saturday

10.30am

Bardowie Loch

Sunday

11.45am

Pilmuir Quarry

Thursday

7.30pm

Bosworth  Water Park

Saturday

9.00am

Nottingham Open Water Swimming

Saturday

11.45am

Dosthill Quarry

Saturday

1.00pm

Gildenburgh Water

Saturday

1.00pm

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I created Outdoor Swimmer in 2011 (initially as H2Open Magazine) as an outlet for my passion for swimming outdoors. I've been a swimmer and outdoor swimmer for as long as I remember. Swimming has made a huge difference to my life and I want to share its joys and benefits with as many people as possible. I am also the author of Swim Wild & Free: A Practical Guide to Swimming Outdoors 365 a Year and I provide one-to-one support to swimmers through Swim Mentoring.