John West Great North Swim

Which Distance?

1/2 mile

250m
A family-friendly option

20 minutes
10 lengths

The Swim250 option, is perfect for anyone aged 8 years old and over. The Swim250 (250 metres) is the equivalent to 10 lengths of a standard 25m pool, and is a great choice if you’re looking to try the open water for the first time, or if you’d like swim with the family.

For children aged 8 – 11 years old the entry payment is £19 and accompanying adults must also purchase an entry at a cost of £19
For anyone aged 12 years old and over the entry is £19 per entry

1/2 Mile

½ mile
A great place to start

20 minutes
32 lengths

A great introduction to outdoor swimming, the ½ mile is the equivalent to around 32 lengths of a standard 25m pool. The average completion time to complete the ½ mile distance is approx 20 minutes.

Entrants must be 12 years old and over on the day of the event.

250

1 Mile

1 mile
Get a feel for the open water

40 minutes
64 lengths

The 1 mile is suitable for swimmers of all abilities and is equivalent to 64 lengths of a standard 25m pool. The average completion time is approx 40 minutes. You can choose to enjoy a leisurely breaststroke while taking in the scenery or kick into crawl for a faster time.

Entrants must be 16 years old and over on the day of the event.

1/2 Mile

2 Miles

2 miles
A great open water challenge for all abilities

1 hour 15 minutes
125 lengths

2 miles is the perfect event for open water swimmers looking for a longer challenge and who have maybe tried an open water swim before. A 2 mile swim is equivalent to around 125 lengths of a standard 25m pool and the average completion time is around 1 hour 15 minutes.

Entrants must be 16 years old and over on the day of the event.

1 Mile

5k
In the running world this would be a half marathon

Max 2 hours
200 lengths

This distance is suited to experienced, confident swimmers looking to go that little bit further. A 5k swim is equivalent to around 200 lengths of a standard 25m pool. For this distance cut-off times apply: swimmers must be able to reach halfway (2500m) within 1 hour and finish within 2 hours. Generally the 5k takes in 3 laps of the standard 1 mile route.

Entrants must be 16 years old and over on the day of the event.

2 Miles

10K

10K
The official open water Olympic distance, or in the running world – a full marathon

Max 4 hours
400 lengths

The 10k marathon swim is suitable for regular swimmers who are capable and confident of taking on longer distances. Putting in the hours of training for this distance is highly recommended. The entry age is 18 years old and over (on event day) and anyone who enters must be able to swim 10k unaided, within 4 hours. This swim is generally 6 laps of the standard 1 mile course.

Great North Swim250

If you’re keen to try an open water swim, but don’t know where to start, the Great North Swim250 event is ideal. It's perfect for new new or nervous swimmers, families, and children aged 8 and over, where you can literally test the water and get a feel for swimming in the great outdoors.

What is it?
250 metres (the equivalent of 10 lengths of a standard 25 metre pool) of open water swimming/splashing/doggy-paddling in the bay area of Windermere.

Please note: Wetsuits are compulsory and every child aged 11 and under must be accompanied by one adult (per child). Anyone aged 18+ years old is classified as an adult.

Payment information: For children aged 8 - 11 years old the entry payment is £19 and accompanying adults must also purchase an entry at a cost of £19. For anyone aged 12 years old and over the entry is £19 per entry.

What swimmers get: All entrants will receive a swim cap, a shiny new medal and a finisher's t-shirt, included in the entry price.

Places are limited for this fun, family-focussed event so make sure you secure yours today!

8 - 11 year olds sign up here

12 years old and over sign up here

Wetsuit Policy

Wetsuit use is optional at all Great Swim events for water temperatures of 15⁰C or above. Swimmers choosing not to wear a wetsuit MUST use an approved high visibility tow float, swimmers wearing wetsuits can also choose to swim with a tow float. This only applies to swimmers aged over 16 years old. Swimmers aged under 16 will be required to wear a wetsuit.

Event location

Bigger. Better. Brockhole!

Over the last decade the event has grown from just 3,000 swimmers to almost 10,000 and our location at Brockhole on Windermere allows us to continue to improve the Great Swim experience for participants and spectators alike.

Activities at Brockhole

There's plenty of activities for the whole family including adventure playgrounds, trails and orienteering, bike hire, a shop and exhibitions. Many activities are covered so there is lots to do, whatever the weather. Find out more about the activites on offer here>.

Fuelling up

Brockhole has a great selection of food on offer to suit all tastes and budgets. Ingredients are locally sourced where possible, and skilfully prepared by their experienced team of chefs. There’ll also be a wide range of independent local food producers on site especially for the Great North Swim weekend.

Brockhole is also dog friendly but please keep your furry friends on the lead and out of the water. Find out more at www.brockhole.co.uk

Windermere is England's largest lake at 10.5 miles long (17km), stretching from Ambleside in the North to Newby Bridge in the South.

Surrounded by some of the nation’s most spectacular natural scenery - the Lake District National Park - the Great North Swim is an inspiring outdoor swim. With large screens around the event site, family and friends can watch all the action.

Make a weekend of it in the Lakes

Why not turn your trip into a great weekend away. Take time to explore the land that has inspired world-renowned poets and writers such as Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter. The breathtaking scenery of the Lake District acts as a natural adventure playground - as well as Windermere being England's longest lake, it also boasts England's highest mountain (Scafell Pike), deepest lake (Wastwater) and steepest road (Hardknott Pass). Where else could you find such a variety of world-class outdoor activities in such an accessible and compact region?

Top 5 Attractions in the Lake District National Park:

Mountain Biking-The Loughrigg fell tour - The Lake District is one of the most exciting places in the world to come mountain biking. If you want to challenge yourself on England's highest peaks, to enjoy an epic day out over endless miles of stunning countryside, or to journey for several days, barely touching tarmac, this is the place to visit.The fells just west of Ambleside are gentler than the higher fells and offer a good introduction to those new to the Lake District. The Loughrigg Fell circular mountain bike tour takes in the pretty mix of lakes, woodland fells and lanes that surround the base of Loughrigg Fell.
Rydal Mount and Gardens- Rydal, Ambleside, Cumbria - Rydal Mount, Wordsworth's best loved home for 37 years. Here he wrote many of his poems and revised and improved much of his earlier works including the Prelude and the famous 'Daffodils' poem. This historic home offers, large beautiful terraced gardens landscaped by the poet, magnificent views of lake Windermere and Rydal Water.
Derwent Water Marina - Keswick, Cumbria - This busy marina on Derwentwater offers watersports tuition, boat hire, sailing, kayaking and canoeing.
The World of Beatrix Potter - Bowness-on-Windermere Windermere, Cumbria - A magical indoor attraction that brings to life all 23 Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit tales. Meet all your favourite characters and find out more about Beatrix Potter herself.
Townend -Troutbeck, Windermere, Cumbria - A real Lakeland hidden treasure set in the beautiful village of Troutbeck, this 17th century solid stone and slate house sits imposingly on the hillside, its huge chimneys typical of the area.

Great North Swim

Windermere, Lake District

Be part of the open water swimming family

Congratulations to all 2021 Swimmers!

Entries to the 2022 Great North Swim are now open!