Red Bull Neptune Steps returns for 2016
Maryhill Locks in Glasgow will be the setting on 9 April for the second outing of the Red Bull Neptune Steps race which features 420m of open water swimming combined with 18m of climbing over eight separate lock gates. It’s like obstacle racing for swimmers with the added bonus that the water is likely to be very cold.
The event launched last year and is thought to be the first ever fully supervised swimming event to take place in a Scottish canal. Two hundred competitors will line up in waves of around 20 to 25 swimmers with the top 10 from each moving into semi-finals and then onto a final to determine the overall winner.
As last year, each lock will once again feature a different obstacle that the competitors will use to aid their progress. Cargo nets, ropes, wood ladders, rope ladders and a climbing wall will all be fixed to the gates making the event a test both of swimming speed, climbing skills and mental resolve.
Entries open at 10:00 on 1 March.
Find out more at: redbull.co.uk/neptunesteps
Simon Griffiths
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.
