An exciting Serpentine open water event will be taking place in the heart of London on the 24th and 25th September.

For those looking to experience the open water, Hyde Park offers a memorable first submersion into the world of outdoor swimming. The one-mile swim will take place over 18 waves at regular intervals across the day. 

Organised by London Marathon Events, the festival will be taking place in and around the picturesque Serpentine. This was the venue for the open water marathon swims at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Like the London Marathon, entries will be put into a public ballot and drawn at random. The public ballot system for entry into the Swim Serpentine one-mile event is now open and closes on Friday 13 May. Entry costs £39 and it is expected that around 6,000 people will take to the Serpentine to compete. Competitors will be notified if they have been selected to compete. View full entry details. 

The second day of the festival, 25 September, will feature the British Open Water Swimming Championships that will include an elite invitation 5km swim. This offers a chance to watch some of the UK’s best open water swimmers in action. Further details will be released next month.

Practice Serpentine Swim

If you are looking for a bit of practice, the ASA will be holding our very own inaugural Open Water Swimming Festival in July which incorporates the National Open Water Championships as well as a 1,500m participation event.

All swimmers taking part in the mass participation mile event must either wear a wetsuit or use a tow-float. These will be available to hire on the day at the Serpentine.

ASA Chief Executive, Adam Paker, commented, “It is great to see mass participation events like this encouraging more people to get involved in swimming. Combining this event with the elite British Open Water Swimming Championships provides a great opportunity for casual swimmers to feel part of the wider swimming family, and hopefully inspire them to continue to swim in the future.”

“Swim Serpentine offers a unique opportunity to swim one mile in open water in a major event in the Serpentine,” said Hugh Brasher, Event Director for London Marathon Events Ltd. “We all remember the stunning images from the open water competition in the Serpentine at the London 2012 Olympic Games and this is the chance for everyone to swim in this great venue.”