06/02/2023
19 000 Swimmers take to the open water in THE WORLDS LARGEST COMPETITIVE OPEN WATER SWIM taking place this weekend just outside my home town, Pietermaritzburg, in sunny South Africa.
The aQuelle Midmar Mile attracts around 19 000 swimmers and is swum over 2 days with 4 events on each day. The event takes place at Midmar Dam in Howick and swimmers participate in a 1 mile swim straight across the dam to finish on the opposite end.
The average finish time for the event is 34:46 with records set by Chad Ho, in 17;00 minutes and our very own Keri-Anne Payne (who won Britain a medal in the 2008 Olympics) setting the record of 17:33 in 2004 for the ladies event. The Midmar Mile attracts all ages, Lorna Cochran swam the event at the age of 91 and Seth Hopkins completed the event at the tender age of 4.
If any of our followers are interested in participating next year, I suggest you book your accommodation sooner rather than later. Please feel free to message me if you need any advice on where to stay.
Here is some information and top tips for swimming the mile:
There are shuttles to the start, but you will need someone to watch over your belongings at the finish
The start can be a little overwhelming for some with so many swimmers entering the water at once. Young swimmers should rather stay back and wait till they have more space. Each event is swum in batches, colour coded swimcaps you receive will determine what batch you are in. Top, seeded swimmers will enter the water first.
Depending on the wind, the water can get choppy, watch the direction of the tide and find a position at the start that will benefit you
I always try not to swallow the water, it’s not the best quality!
You only have 55 minutes to finish the event, depending on the rainfall and water levels, distance can vary slightly year to year
For those wanting to raise money for charity, there is the 8 mile club and you can opt to swim 8 miles over the weekend for a charity of your choice (the event has a few for you to choose from)
Safety is a priority for the swim and there are boats and lifeguards on paddleskis on route should you get into trouble. There are several buoys on the water marking the route
At the finish there is merchandise for you to purchase such as towels, t-shirts, caps, sweatshirts all printed with event branding, on finishing you also receive a lovely medal to take home
At the finish there is a wonderful market and plenty of food stalls
There is live running commentary at the event. Individual results are normally published on the day
It is Summer in South Africa and sun cream is essential as the days can get extremely hot
If you are planning a trip out to South Africa for the event, you would need to fly into Durban or Johannesburg and drive to Howick or catch a domestic flight to Oribi Airport in Pietermaritzburg. I highly recommend a visit to Tala Game Reserve, which is less than a 60 minute drive away, here you can drive around and try and find the giraffe, rhino, hippo to name just a few. There are some lovely hotels on the Midlands Meander for you to stay at.
Have I convinced you yet? Ha Ha
https://youtu.be/BeuhrVrePIc
