Swim Sessions - Sunday 11 June
There are three supervised swim sessions available on Sunday 11 June, designed for those who want to give open water swimming a try or those with experience who want to refine their swimming technique. Places are limited, so secure your place early.
Rookie Splash 12pm or 12.30pm
An introduction to the world of open water swimming for everyone aged 8 years & over. The perfect session to just ‘have a go’ and quite literally, test the water! Choose from 2, 30-minute sessions (12 pm or 12.30 pm). You’ll stay in the shallows of Windermere, so you’ll always be able to stand up should you want to. The amazing Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) team will be there to look after you throughout to give advice and answer any questions you might have.
Open Water Masterclass 12 pm
A 1hr skills session for those who are comfortable swimming in the open water. You will spend 45 mins in the water refining your skills with technical advice from our specialist coaches. They will guide and share tips on breathing techniques, drafting, sighting, mass starts, and turning around buoys. This session will help give you the confidence to perhaps go for a bigger distance in the future or feel more efficient and comfortable in the water.
Entry information
To enter, we ask for a £5 donation, which will be split between the RLSS and the Lake District Foundation. If you take part and decided to enter the 2024 Arla Great North Swim, then you’ll also get £5 off your entry. Places are limited, so secure your place early. Please note that the £5 entry donation made for these events includes a swim cap on the day, and full water safety cover and instruction, but does not include an Arla Great North Swim finisher’s pack and medal.
Enter Rookie Splash
Enter Open Water Masterclass
The Arla Great North Swim is a weekend-long celebration of open water swimming. Expect stunning scenery, the best of local food and drink, outdoor activities, culture, art, history and thousands of like-minded people coming together. Think of it more as an open water adventure than a race.
Dr Hussain Al-Zubaidi, Royal College of GPs (RCGP) Lifestyle and Physical Activity Clinical Champion and regular contributor to Channel 4’s Steph’s Packed Lunch, will take on the 5K distance at the Arla Great North Swim this Summer. Dr Hussain is part of an advisory panel for Swim England, working with them to promote the benefits of swimming for everyone.
He has recently been featured in their Swimming as Medicine campaign (see video below), sharing his suggestions with other healthcare professionals on how to have physical activity conversations around swimming with patients. From now until event day we will be working closely with Dr Hussain as our official Great Swim Mental Health Medical Advisor, as he shares his top tips for staying active, his own swimming experience and the positive impact that swimming (particularly outdoor swimming) has on our physical and mental health.
When traveling to the event, please ensure you plan ahead as the roads will be busy and parking is very limited. You can view travel information here, to help you plan your journey.
250m
A family-friendly option
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.
All 8 –12 year olds must be accompanied by an adult. Anyone aged 13 years old and over can take on the swim as an individual.
½ mile
A great place to start
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.
1 mile
Get a feel for the open water
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.
2 miles
A great 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.
5k
A challenge for experienced swimmers
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.
10K
Official open water Olympic distance
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.
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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, to 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: Please note our wetsuit policy. 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 standard entry payment is £19 and accompanying adults must also purchase an entry at a cost of £19. For anyone aged 12 years + the entry is £19 per entry.
All entrants will receive a swim cap, a shiny new medal and a finisher's t-shirt, included in the entry price.
8 - 11 year olds sign up here
12 years old and over sign up here