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Organiser's Description
The event takes place at Alton Water, Ipswich, and is a great day out for swimmers, families and spectators. With farmers' markets, plenty of musical entertainment and swim distances ranging from 250m right up to 10k, there really is something for everyone!
The 10k will take swimmers on six laps of the existing one mile course and will have a 'pit-stop' after each lap to allow swimmers to top up on drinking water and, if necessary, take a 5 minute breather before heading back in the water again.
Whether you're looking to try an open water swim for the first time, or you're searching for the ultimate challenge, the Great East Swim offers you a selection of distances to suit your ability.
Races
-
250 Metres
Swim250 (8+ Yr Olds)
£16.00
CLOSED -
Half Mile
12+ Yrs Old
£31.00
CLOSED -
1 Mile
16+ Yrs Old
£36.00
CLOSED -
2 Miles
16+ Yrs Old
£41.00
CLOSED -
5 Km
£43.00
CLOSED -
10 Km
£66.00
CLOSED
Book
-
250 Metres
Swim250 (8+ Yr Olds)
£16.00
CLOSED -
Half Mile
12+ Yrs Old
£31.00
CLOSED -
1 Mile
16+ Yrs Old
£36.00
CLOSED -
2 Miles
16+ Yrs Old
£41.00
CLOSED -
5 Km
£43.00
CLOSED -
10 Km
£66.00
CLOSED
Location
The John West Great East Swim is staged at Alton Water Sports Centre near Ipswich. Suffolk IP9 2RY.
Timetable
You must check-in 30 minutes before your start time. If you miss it we may not be able to move you to another wave, so please don't be late.
08.00: Red swim hat, 5k swim
08.05: Green swim hat, 10k swim
10.00: Pink swim hat, 2 mile swim
10.30: Yellow swim hat, SwimRun (Short distance)
11.00: Orange swim hat, 1 mile swim
11.30: White swim hat, 1 mile swim
12.00: Red swim hat, 1 mile swim
12.30: Green swim hat, 1 mile swim
12.50: Pink swim hat, Swim250
12.55: Yellow swim hat, Swim250
13.30: Orange swim hat, 0.5 mile swim
How To Get There
BY CAR:
The John West Great East Swim can be reached by following the postcode IP9 2RY. There will be parking available but it will be £5 on the day.
Due to narrow stretches of road around the event venue please can we ask that you drive carefully through the lanes and the village of Stutton and refrain from parking along the roads.
If you are planning to drive to the John West Great East Swim have you considered car sharing?
Blue Badge parking is available at the Visitor Centre at Alton Water. Please follow the directions of the parking stewards.
BY TRAIN:
London Liverpool Street station is approximately a 60 minute train ride away, with direct trains running every half an hour to Manningtree-the nearest station to Alton Water. From here you can get a taxi to take you to the event site.If arriving at Ipswich main line station you will need to get a connecting train to Manningtree. Trains run every 30 minutes between Ipswich and Manningtree. From here you can get a taxi to take you to Alton Water.
BY BIKE:
There are cycle routes to Alton Water. A bike park will be available, but it will not be staffed but we recommend that you bring a suitable bike lock and that you do not leave any valuables with your bike.
Distance Details
Swim250
The Swim250 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 over the age of 12 years old can take on the swim as an individual
- Wetsuits are compulsory
Half Mile
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.
1 mile
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.
2 miles
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.
5 km
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.
10 km
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.
What's Included
The entry fee includes entry into the event, a 2020 John West Great Swim finisher's pack and medal