Swim Serpentine photo
Swim

Swim Serpentine

Event Type Swim
Date September 2024
Location Serpentine, Hyde Park
Registration Fee 1 mile - £20, 2 mile - £25
Fundraising Target 1 mile - £200/person, 2 mile - £300/person
Level Moderate to Tough

The challenge

Swim Serpentine is a one-day open water swimming festival staged in the heart of London. Swimmers will have the chance to swim a half mile, one mile or two miles in this open event. Every swimmer will be able to choose a start wave, with swimmers setting off at regular intervals during the day. All your needs are catered for with heated changing rooms, dunk zone, pontoon start and finish, full water safety crew, hot tubs and exhibition area. 

So why not register your interest now for 2024 here.

The route

One mile Swim

A classic distance in the world of open water swimming events.Swim Serpentine takes place on the same course as the London 2012 Marathon Swimming Olympic event, with one full lap around the Serpentine making up the one-mile swim. This is the most popular of all the swim distances at  Swim Serpentine with swimmers taking anything from 20 minutes through to one hour to complete the swim.

Two mile Swim

For those who would like to test themselves with two full (1.6km) laps of the Serpentine. Aimed at more experienced swimmers who have already completed a mile open water swim previously. A challenging two-lap swim set in a beautiful location.

Fundraising

We ask for a registration fee of £20 for the 1 mile and £25 for the 2 mile. We also ask that you raise a minimum sponsorship amount of £200 - 1 mile or £300 - 2 mile.

You will receive a welcome pack with fundraising help and materials as well as support from our dedicated events team to help you achieve your goals. If you reach over £100 6 weeks before the event we will automatically send your a free swimming cap.

FAQs

The event organisers are responsible for allocating start waves. If you wish to speak with them about this, we suggest you contact them directly. 

You must be able to comfortably swim your chosen distance in open water, or double the distance in a pool non-stop.

Wetsuits are optional when the water temperature is over 15 degrees. However, for safety reasons, all swimmers in the event must either wear a wetsuit or use a tow-float.

The event Final Instructions will be e-mailed to all participants and will be available online. You will also be sent a Swim Pack contain essential items for your swim.

There will be a number of different start waves going off at regular intervals during the day. The event organisers are responsible for allocating start waves. 

We recommend that you travel on the Tube. The closest Tube to the event area is Lancaster Gate on the Central line. Alight here and the event area is a 700m walk across Hyde Park. You can also alight at Marble Arch (Central line), Hyde Park Corner (Piccadilly line) or Knightsbridge (Piccadilly line) and the event area is around 1km from each Tube station. For bus information, visitwww.tfl.gov.uk.

Visit the Royal Parks website to find out more about getting to Hyde Park.

Triangle Car Park, adjacent to the Serpentine at the north end of Serpentine Bridge, will not be open over the event weekend. Visit the Royal Parks’ website for more information on other parking in Hyde Park. We recommend that swimmers and spectators avoid coming by car as parking spaces are limited.

The London Classics requires participants to complete the London Marathon, the RideLondon-Surrey 100 and the two-mile event at Swim Serpentine. The events can be done in any order over any time period.

Everyone who completes these three events receives the magnificent London Classics medal, engraved with the words Et Ego Londinium Vici (I too have conquered London) and is listed in the Hall of fame.

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