Great Swim FAQ's

The Great Swim Series is for swimmers of all abilities. Thousands of swimmers take part, and most will not have swum in the outdoors before. You won’t be alone!

There was a time when running a marathon or a half marathon was just for serious club runners; but now anyone who is willing to put in the time to train can take part. The same goes for the Swim.

You MUST be able to complete your chosen distance confidently before taking part in this event. However, if you get into difficulty during your swim, help will be at hand (full instructions of what to do will be given at the safety briefing on the day).

Entries will close at 10am on the Thursday of the event weekend or when the event reaches capacity (whichever is sooner).

The age limits are determined by the distance:
You must be 8 years or over on the day to enter the 250m. Every child aged 11 and under must be accompanied by one adult (per child).

The age limit depends on the distance you have entered to swim:
You must be 12 years or over on the day of the event to enter a ½ mile swim
You must be 16 years or over on the day of the event to enter a 1 mile, 2 miles, 5K
You must be 18 years or over on the day of the event to enter a 10K swim

Yes, you can choose your swim day and time from the options provided on the entry form. The event features waves of swimmers throughout the weekend. View the full timetable here.

On the event day, check-in for each wave opens 30 minutes before the start time. Swimmers should be in their wetsuits and ready to swim at the start area. You’ll have a chance to acclimate to the water before a safety briefing 5 minutes before your start.

If you need to change your swim time, you can do so (subject to availability) using our wave check system here. Note that changes are only allowed for the same distance you initially registered for. For distance changes, see below.

Pre-wave allocation (until COP Monday 3 June 2024): Contact us here with your full name, current distance, and desired distance. We’ll withdraw your original entry and send you a new entry form for the shorter distance. No admin fee is charged, and no entry fee is refunded.

Post wave allocation (from Tuesday 4 June 2024): Distance transfer requests can be handled on event weekend at the information point on-site. Present at customer services at least 2 hours before your desired swim wave start. No admin fee is charged, and no entry fee is refunded.

Great Swim has partnered with Let’s Do This to take event entry bookings.

When you enter a Great Swim event, your entry information and payment is processed by Let’s Do This and passed securely to Great Swim. Your bank statement will show Let’s Do This against your event entry, and you will receive a booking confirmation email from Let’s Do This, in addition to your usual entry confirmation email from Great Swim. All pre-event advice and information will arrive in your inbox from Great Swim.

Great Swim has partnered with Let’s Do This to take event entry bookings.

When you enter a Great Swim event, your entry information and payment is processed by Let’s Do This and passed securely to Great Swim. Your bank statement will show Let’s Do This against your event entry, and you will receive a booking confirmation email from Let’s Do This, in addition to your usual entry confirmation email from Great Swim. All pre-event advice and information will arrive in your inbox from Great Swim.

All finishers will receive a bespoke medal, a finisher swim bag and some goodies. A Great North Swim t-shirt can be purchased as an add on at the point of entry.

You can train for the event in the swimming pool by continually increasing your distance. Check out our Training section of the website here for more information.

For safety reasons, the Great Swim features dry-land sections at the start and finish of the course. This feature means the event may not be suitable for all swimmers.

If you’d like to take part but have concerns over the suitability of the course for your specific needs or circumstances, please contact us here.

Equipment or costumes that restrict the swimmer or potentially cause any injury to other swimmers in a confined swimming environment will NOT be allowed. If you would like to wear fancy dress, please send a photo of the costume/equipment to the event manager here and we will let you know whether we think it will be suitable.

The final decision is down to the start safety team on the day, and they will not allow anything that they think to be unsafe.

You should practice swimming with anything you intend to wear on the day.

Wetsuit use is optional at all Great Swim events for water temperatures of 15°C or above.

Swimmers choosing not to wear a wetsuit MUST use an approved high visibility tow float. This only applies to swimmers aged over 16 years old.

Swimmers aged under 16 will be required to wear a wetsuit.

You should use a well-fitting, one-piece neoprene wetsuit, which ideally is specifically designed for swimming rather than other activities such as diving or surfing. Swimming-specific wetsuits are made from neoprene panels of varying thickness to provide buoyancy at the same time as allowing more mobility where required e.g. around the shoulders.

The most important thing is that whatever wetsuit you decide to wear –, shortie, short arms, and legs – it fits well. It should be snug when you put it on, so the water trapped next to your skin is warmed by your body and provides insulation.

We recommend that you try the wetsuit out before event day to ensure that it is comfortable to swim in. If the wetsuit is loose or ‘baggy’ or if it is too tight around the neck and you feel that you have to unzip it to breathe more comfortably, water will flow through it compromising insulation and potentially restricting your swimming.

For the avoidance of doubt, triathlon suits made of lycra (or other similar synthetic materials) do not offer buoyancy or insulation and are not accepted as wetsuits at Great Swims.

We re delighted to be working with Zone3 our official wetsuit partner. Day and Season Wetsuit rental available from just £30. Click here to find out more.

Please contact us here and we will update our records for you.

Please confirm the name/date of birth that is currently showing and what you would like it changed to.

Please contact us here and we will update our records for you.

Please confirm the email address that is currently showing and what you would like it changed to.

Please contact us here and a member of our team will help.

If any details need changing, please confirm your name/date of birth/the address that is currently showing, and what you would like it changed to.

Please contact us here and a member of our team can help.

Please confirm what you have put on the form, and what you would like it changed to.

If you need to change your swim time, you can do so (subject to availability) using our wave check system here. Note that changes are only allowed for the same distance you initially registered for.

In most cases, we can accommodate such requests.

Please contact us here with your full name and details of the distance you have entered together with the distance you would prefer.

More details about our distance change policy can be found below:
Pre wave allocation (approx. 6 weeks prior to the event weekend) – up until the point whereby entrants are allocated their wave and fulfilment takes place, all distance transfer requests should come via our online contact form here where the entrant will be issued an online entry token for the shorter distance event, and they are removed from the longer distance event. No admin fee is charged, and no entry fee is refunded.

Post wave allocation – Once waves times have been allocated and swim packs have been sent out, distance transfer requests will be managed at the event site customer information point. Swimmers wishing to change distance must present their swim pack to be replaced for the shorter distance equivalent (subject to there being capacity within the event). Swimmers must do this at least 1 hour prior to desired swim wave start. No admin fee is charged, and no entry fee is refunded.

Your pack should contain your swim hat, timing chip, wristband, and a baggage label.

Check-in for your wave time will open half an hour before your start time. This is when you will need to be at the start area in your wetsuit and ready to swim.

You will have the chance to get into the water to get used to the temperature before being brought out for a safety briefing 5 minutes before.

In our bid to reduce the environmental impact of the Arla Great North Swim, swim packs will no longer be sent out in the post.

Instead, your swim pack will be available to collect from the information point on event weekend. We will share more details about your pack pick-up over the next few weeks.

No entries will be taken on the day. Entries will close at 10am on the Thursday of the event week or when the event reaches capacity (whichever is sooner).

In our bid to leave a lighter footprint on our environment, we will no longer be sending out swimmers’ packs through the post. Not only will this mean that we are reducing our emissions from not transporting thousands of swim packs around the country, but it will also mean that no swim packs go missing, which leads to less printing of spare items.

You will follow the following process:

• Arrive at the event 2 hours before your start time and head to the pack pick-up point next to the information point.
• You'll collect your pack and then go through to the 'swimmer-only zone' approx. an hour before your start time (this area is located beyond the information point, towards the water - look out for signage).
• You'll get changed, use the toilet facilities, and then go to check in to your swim 30 minutes before your start.
• You'll then get warmed up and have the chance to acclimatise to the water before you head off on your swim.

Our full event day guide can be found here. We will send emails in the lead-up to the event which will list your swim time.

In our bid to leave a lighter footprint on our environment, we will no longer be sending out swimmers’ packs through the post. Not only will this mean that we are reducing our emissions by not transporting thousands of swim packs around the country, but it will also mean that no swim packs go missing, which leads to less printing of spare items.

You will follow the following process:

• Arrive at the event 2 hours before your start time and head to the pack pick-up point next to the information point.
• You'll collect your pack and then go through to the 'swimmer-only zone' approx. an hour before your start time (this area is located beyond the information point, towards the water - look out for signage).
• You'll get changed, use the toilet facilities, and then go to check in to your swim 30 minutes before your start.
• You'll then get warmed up and have the chance to acclimatise to the water before you head off on your swim.

Our full event day guide can be found here. We will send emails in the lead-up to the event which will list your swim time.

We don’t allow the use of waterproof headphones during your swim.

We ask that you are able to listen and pay attention to instructions from marshals/safety kayakers in the water.

Yes, heated changing marquees will be available to use.

Yes. We will add details about where you can access baggage facilities to the website and in the Event Day Guide.

Before leaving your belongings in the baggage facility, make sure you fill in your baggage label provided in your swim pack. You’ll need to attach it to your bag. You’ll then need to show your swim hat/number to gain access to the baggage area and collect your bag.

Please don’t leave valuables in your bag – this will be a self-service system. Although security staff will be present, we can’t accept any responsibility for lost or stolen items.

As part of our drive to improve the sustainability at the event there will be no bottled water given out at the start/finish areas. There will be water refill points dotted around the event site, so please bring your own bottle.

For most distances, you can take as long as you need to complete the course. We will have safety kayakers in the water who will be monitoring participants and if they think you are safe to continue, you can do so.

For the longer distances (5K & 10K) we do ask participants to agree to the following statements on entry:

10k
I declare that I will be able to complete the 10K swim continuously and unaided within 4.5 hours (< 27 mins per km). If I fall behind this schedule, I understand that the safety team may not allow me to complete all my laps or may extract me from the water at any point if it is deemed inappropriate for me to continue based on medical and/or safety grounds.

5k
I declare that I will be able to complete the 5K swim continuously and unaided within 2.5 hours (<30 mins per Km). If I fall behind this schedule, I understand that the safety team may not allow me to complete all my laps or may extract me from the water at any point if it is deemed inappropriate for me to continue based on medical and/or safety grounds.

(NOTE: It is rare that we have to enforce this but your safety will always be our priority)

We will provide energy products and water on the feed station.

Any swimmers wishing to use the feed station to hydrate will need to bring their own collapsible cup, as there are no plastic bottles at the event.

If you wish you can bring your own supplies for the feed station. Please pass this to the Great Swim team at the start area before your swim so they can take it there for you.

Please note, this wouldn’t be returned until the end of the swim timetable for that day, so we recommend bringing something that you don’t mind not getting back.

All finishers will receive a bespoke medal, an exclusive (optional) finisher’s t-shirt, a finisher swim bag (optional), and some goodies.

We have introduced optional finisher t-shirts. You can choose to forgo your t-shirt at the point of entry, and in lieu of this, we will make a donation to the National Trust Woodlands Appeal. Find out more here. We will donate a portion of the fulfilment costs for each participant who chooses this option to the fund, committing a minimum donation of £20,000.

To view your race results please click here

Select the correct event from the drop-down list and enter either your swim number or surname, then press Search.

To view your race results please click here

Select the correct event from the drop-down list and enter either your swim number or surname, then press Search.

If no result is displayed, please contact us here with your full name, swim number and the event in which you took part. We will then arrange for our results team to investigate.

To see photos of you please click here

Click on the link for the correct event and enter either your swim number or surname, then press Search.

Please note that unfortunately we cannot guarantee all swimmers will be able to see a photo of themselves. Pictures are tagged when your swim number is clearly shown. If your swim number was obscured in any way, it will not be picked up.

If you were standing next to a friend when your photo was taken, please try entering their surname or race number.

If you have any further issues, you can contact the team at Marathon Photos here

To see photos of you and to download your free certificate, please click here

Click on the link for the correct event and enter either your swim number or surname, then press Search. You should see photos of you displayed along with a link to download your free certificate

Great Swim’s aim is to motivate people of all swimming abilities to get active and enjoy the experience of outdoor swimming in a safe environment.

You should take time to train and prepare properly for the event.

You MUST be able to complete your chosen distance confidently before taking part in this event. However, if you get into difficulty during your swim, help will be at hand (full instructions of what to do will be given at the safety briefing on the day).

If you would like to reduce the distance you are due to swim, please contact us here

The full Great Swim Withdrawal & Refund Policy can be found here.

Immediate Entry Cancellation

If a participant decides that they no longer want to take part within 3 days of entering, regardless of reason, we will refund the entry fee (minus £5 admin charge). Please contact us here to request this. Please confirm your name, date of birth and the distance of swim you have entered.

Medical Refund

We can offer a refund of the entry fee (minus £5 admin charge) if a medical issue is preventing the customer from taking part in the event. This is only applicable up to 6 weeks prior to the event and we require certification.

Please contact us here to request this refund and include your medical certification. Please confirm your name, date of birth and the distance of swim you have entered. We can accept a copy of a medical notes, copies of appointment letters, physio notes etc.

In most cases, we can accommodate such requests.

Please contact us here with your full name and details of the distance you have entered together with the distance you would prefer.

More details about our distance change policy can be found below:
Pre wave allocation (approx. 6 weeks prior to the event weekend) – up until the point whereby entrants are allocated their wave and fulfilment takes place, all distance transfer requests should come via our online contact form here where the entrant will be issued an online entry token for the shorter distance event, and they are removed from the longer distance event. No admin fee is charged, and no entry fee is refunded.

Post wave allocation – Once waves times have been allocated and swim packs have been sent out, distance transfer requests will be managed at the event site customer information point. Swimmers wishing to change distance must present their swim pack to be replaced for the shorter distance equivalent (subject to there being capacity within the event). Swimmers must do this at least 1 hour prior to desired swim wave start. No admin fee is charged, and no entry fee is refunded.

A swimmer, who is no longer able to take part, is entitled to reallocate their place in an event to another participant for a fee of £10. This option is only available prior to wave allocation and swimmer pack fulfilment (6 weeks prior to the event weekend).

The existing swimmer needs to contact us via the contact form here. To confirm they would like to offer their place to another participant and provide their contact email address.

The new swimmer is then sent an entry online form via email and pays the £10 fee whereupon the existing swimmer is replaced in the system with the new swimmer. Unfortunately, if a discount code is used at time of purchase, no retrospective discounts can be applied.

The full Great Swim Withdrawal & Refund Policy can be found here.

Entries are non-transferable into subsequent years events; we do not offer a deferment policy.

The dates of the Great Swim events have been chosen to avoid any peak periods in blue-green algae and we will be monitoring the water quality in the lead up to the event.

Blue-green algae is naturally occurring in lakes, ponds, reservoirs, rivers and the sea. These commonly occur during periods of prolonged hot weather and in calm waters, such as near to the water’s edge or shoreline.

At most levels the algae poses no threat to swimmers. It is only on the rare occasions when the algae reaches extremely high levels that it can form a scum and produce toxic substances. Great Swim monitors the water quality and we would carry out our contingency plans if we find any scum on the water.

Windermere is a huge body of water, over 11 miles long, containing an estimated 300,000 billion litres of water. The nearest reported spill was around 5km away, and 4 months prior to the swim event date. As ever we continue with our testing programme, which is bespoke to our event. All results have come back as excellent, and we will continue to monitor the water quality and update swimmers if there are any concerns raised.

We start to test the water around 4 weeks prior to event day. There will be approximately 3 rounds of tests carried out within this time right up to event day. Our most recent test, conducted on Thursday 23rd May 2024, received an ‘excellent’ rating against the EC Inland Bathing Water Standards.

The water quality is tested independently, with multiple samples taken from 5 different locations in Windermere around the swim course. Details can be found on our testing map here. They are conducted by a 3rd party, with tests analysed by independent laboratories and measured against the EU Bathing Water Directive.

The Freshwater Biological Association (FBA) conduct regular surveys assessing the health of Windermere. Further details of the work they do, how you can help, and their latest results can be found here.

Designated bathing sites are regularly tested by the Environment Agency. A full list of the sites can be found here, with the nearest to the Great North Swim being at Rayrigg Meadow. Click here for further information.

Swimming in the open water is a very rewarding and enjoyable experience, and as with most activities there can be an element of risk. For the team at the Great North Swim the health and safety of our swimmers is our number one priority and we do our best to mitigate risks by carrying out extensive and rigorous water testing, ensuring our swimmers have a highly experienced team of water safety crew looking after them – there is one water safety crew member per 10 swimmers.

It is important to understand that bodies of natural water will have fluctuating water quality, and swimmers need to be mindful of this before swimming in any open water. ?After swimming it is important to wash hands thoroughly, as well as cleaning cuts or abrasions. Further advice can be found on the Government website here.