FACTSHEET
Swim Serpentine is a festival of open water swimming staged in the heart of London on Saturday 16 September 2017.
Organised by London Marathon Events and held for the first time in 2016, the festival will again be held in and around the beautiful Serpentine in Hyde Park, the venue for the open water swimming competition at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
THE EVENTS
On Saturday 16 September, about 5,000 swimmers will swim in open water in the mass participation event. Every swimmer will be given the option to choose a specific start wave and swimmers will set off at regular intervals during the day. All swimmers in the mass participation mile must wear either a wetsuit or a tow-float. Both wetsuit and tow-float hire will be available at the Serpentine on the day.
The events include:
- ½ mile (minimum age 12 on the day, wetsuit or tow-float compulsory)
- 1 mile (minimum age 16 on the day, wetsuit or tow-float compulsory)
- 2 miles (minimum age 16 on the day, wetsuit or tow-float compulsory)
- Elite invitation races for men and women
- Para races for men and women
All swimmers in the mass participation mile must wear either a wetsuit or a tow-float. Both wetsuit and tow-float hire will be available at the Serpentine on the day.
Swim Serpentine was created by London Marathon Events Ltd, the world’s leading organiser of mass-participation sports events and held for the first time in 2016.
Hugh Brasher, Event Director for London Marathon Events, said: “We are delighted that the second Swim Serpentine will take place in Hyde Park on 16 September 2017 and we would like to thank The Royal Parks for making this possible.The Serpentine is a wonderful location for open water swimming and is famous worldwide through the London 2012 Olympic Games. Our aim is to grow Swim Serpentine into the largest open water swimming event in the UK.
“This is a truly inspirational event which saw swimmers of all ages and abilities enjoy the unique opportunity to swim in the beautiful setting of the Serpentine. The feedback from participants was incredible and it is clear that Swim Serpentine truly raised the bar for open water swimming events and inspired thousands to try open water swimming.”
THE LONDON CLASSICS
Swim Serpentine is the first opportunity for participants to complete the London Classics.
The unique challenge requires people to run the Virgin Money London Marathon, cycle 100 miles in the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 and swim two miles at Swim Serpentine.
With this being the first time the two-mile swim has been part of the Swim Serpentine programme, the event will see the first ever group of participants complete the London Classics.
Everyone who completes the London Classics at Swim Serpentine will receive a specially-designed London Classics medal engraved with the words:Et ego Londinium vici(“I too have conquered London”) and will be listed intheLondon ClassicsHall of Fame.
To enter the London Classics, go to
London Marathon Events is the acknowledged world leader in maximising revenue for charities through iconic mass participation sports events. 100 per cent of the surplus made by London Marathon Events Ltd is handed to The London Marathon Charitable Trust, which then awards grants to recreational projects in London and other areas where London Marathon Events are staged – including London, south Northamptonshire and Surrey.
Since The London Marathon Charitable Trust was founded in 1981, more than £66.5 million has been allocated to more than 1,200 different projects.
Find out more at
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