Outdoor Swimmer Henley Swim Festival

The mile course starts half a mile upstream from the event village, the half mile and splash start in the event village. The swim is downstream for all events.

Swim entry includes access to the entire Outdoor Swimmer Henley Swim Festival for you and your spectators, where you can experience live music, food and drink, exhibitors, equipment testing, entertainment and a whole day of fun by the river.

All finishers receive a medal. Chip timed event (all except the Henley Splash) Prizes for Junior Half Mile, Mile, Suits vs Skins and 4 Mile Challenge

• Swims to suit all levels of swimmer
• Supervised river swimming experience
• Free river lido - perfect for first-time river swimmers and children
• A bustling event village with retailers, exhibitors and entertainment
• High quality food and drink available
• Paddleboarding in the river lido
• A stunning riverside location just outside Henley on Thames
• Fun for the whole family
• Dog friendly

What are the distances?
The distance options for this outdoor swim event are:
200m Henley Splash
Zoggs Half Mile (age 9+)
Mile (age 14+)
You can swim the mile twice – once in a wetsuit and once without – in Suits vs Skins.
You can swim the mile four times throughout the day in the 4 Mile Challenge.
All courses are downstream. The event village is approximately halfway along the mile course (ie there is a walk at the beginning and the end). The half mile starts in the event village, and there is a walk at the end. The 200m Henley Splash is entirely in the event village.
If you have any mobility issues that mean the walks could be a problem, please contact [email protected] and we may be able to help.

What is the 4 Mile Challenge?
The 4 Mile Challenge is for swimmers that wish to push themselves that little bit further, and is ideal as a fund-raising option either for Macmillan, or a charity of your choice.
Swimmers will swim the 1 mile course 4 times throughout the day. 4x Challenge swimmers start their first mile early at 09:00 to allow time to complete all 4 miles. There will be no mile starts between 12:15 and 13:45 so when planning your day, please factor this in.
You will need to allow time to eat and drink, we suggest you bring enough food to last you through all 4 swims, as the queues for the food concessions may not fit with your timings.
To enter this challenge you need to be sure that you can swim AND walk/jog a mile within 75 minutes. At the end of each mile, swimmers will need to walk back to the start (approx 1 mile) before starting their next mile.
After your final leg you will receive a finishers’ medal and a well-earned rest.

What is the Suits vs Skins Challenge?
In a bid to once and for all determine the performance boost given by wetsuits, competitors will have the opportunity to take part in the “Suits v Skins Challenge“.
Anyone who wants to take part in this challenge will need to swim the Mile twice: once with a wetsuit and once without.
The winner will be the person with the fastest combined time for the two miles – but everyone taking part will see what difference swimming in a wetsuit really makes.

How to Enter
To enter, simply select Suits vs Skins on the registration form. You should wear your wetsuit for the first swim, and swim non-wetsuit for the second.

Will there be prizes?
Results will be available throughout the day and immediately after the event through the Nifty system and via text message.
There will be presentations for the the Junior Zoggs Half Mile. Junior prizes for the Mile, Suits vs Skins and 4x Challenge will be sent after the event. There will not be prizes for the adult categories.
The 200m Henley Splash is a participation event and will not be timed.

Can I swim any categories with my children?
Yes, you can swim with your children in all outdoor swim events.
The Mile – if your child is 14 or over you can swim the Mile together, please make sure you select the same start window during the registration process.
The Half Mile – if your child is 9 or over you can swim the Half Mile together.
The 200m Henley Splash – if the swimmer is aged 8-12, or has special needs, one adult can accompany them in the water free of charge. Register the swimmer for the Splash, tick the accompanying adult box, and add your details where requested.

Are children allowed to swim without an adult?
If your child is aged 12 or under, you will need to make sure that they have either an accompanying adult swimming with them, or walking the tow-path alongside them. When you register your child for the event, you will be asked to confirm that you have understood this.
Children aged 13+ do not require this, however we very much hope that you will be supporting your child throughout their swim. You can walk alongside all the way.
We also ask you to be sure that your child has the capability to swim in the event that you enter them in.

Is there camping at the event site?
Basic camping is available on the Saturday night at the event site, including toilets and drinking water, but no electricity. Complete the festival experience by arriving the afternoon before your swim and enjoying time by the river or in Henley. You will wake up to stunning views of the River Thames, ready to tackle your swim and enjoy all that the Henley Swim Festival has to offer. The campsite will be open from 3pm on Saturday to 5pm on Sunday. Campers can bring their cars to the campsite, and do not need to book additional parking.

Is parking available?
There is plenty of parking available at the event, we encourage you to car share wherever possible. Cars will be charged £15 to park, or £7.50 if booked in advance when registering (maximum 2 cars). Subscribers to Outdoor Swimmer magazine will receive free parking, so should not pre-book.

How much does it cost to swim?
The prices for all the various swim options are available on the entry system.

Can I bring spectators?
Absolutely. We would love you to bring friends and family to support you, and there is plenty for them to do on the land. There is no charge for spectators, and you are able to pre-book additional car parking if required. Spectators can walk alongside the river, cheering you on, for the entire course.

Event Memorabilia
There will be event memorabilia available to purchase on the day.

Swimmer's Forum
We have set up a Facebook Forum for all our outdoor swim events and swimmers called Henley Swim Chatter, where you are able to discuss anything with fellow swimmers from nutrition and training tips to event transport.

Water Temperature
As with any outdoor swim event the water temperature will depend upon both the outside temperature and the quantity of rainfall in the days and weeks running up to the event. It is therefore very difficult to predict.
Based on previous years, in the middle of July we would expect the water to be between 18 and 21 degrees centigrade.

Swimming Clubs
If you are part of a swimming club, and are interested in hosting your open water club championship at the Henley Swim Festival, please email [email protected]
You could also compete against other clubs in our inter-club championships. More information can be found here.

Is this event suitable for adaptive and disabled swimmers?
We try to make our events as accessible as possible, within the limits of the locations of the swims. If you have any special requirements we suggest that you email us at [email protected] and we will see if we are able to accommodate your needs.
There is more detail that may be useful to disabled athletes about parking, entry and exit points etc in our FAQs.

There will be a single mass start wave at 09:00 to cater for those of you that like the excitement and competitive nature of a racing start.

All other starts (including the half mile and the splash) will be rolling starts. For the Mile please chose a start window. You will be able to start at any time within the window, allowing you to plan according to your travel and other commitments.

MILE START WINDOWS

MASS START: 09:00
A: 09:30 - 09:45
B: 09:45 - 10:15
C: 10:15 - 10:45
D: 10:45 - 11:15 *Breaststroke Wave*
E: 11:15 - 11:45
F: 11:45 - 12:15
G: 13:45 - 14:15
H: 14:15 - 14:45
*Breaststrokers are welcome to swim in any wave, however if you wish to start alongside fellow breaststroke swimmers, Wave D is reserved exclusively for those that plan to swim the mile mostly or entirely breaststroke. Please note that it is possible that swimmers in this wave will catch, or be caught by swimmers using other strokes as they progress along the course, however by this stage the swimmers will be well spaced out, and our safety team will ensure that any swimmers overtaking do so safely.


HALF MILE
12:30

200m HENLEY SPLASH
13:15

UNLTD & 4x MILE CHALLENGE

Swimmers will all begin their first mile at 09:00 / 09:15. Subsequent miles can be started at any time before 15:00, but please note there are no mile starts between 12:15 and 13:45 so please plan your swims around this break.

2x MiILE & SUITS VS SKINS

Swimmers can start their first mile between 09:30 and 12:15 and start their second swim at any time before 15:00 (again please note there are no mile starts between 12:15 and 13:45).

**PLEASE NOTE ALL WAVE TIMES ARE PROVISIONAL AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE - PLEASE BE SURE TO CHECK THE SWIMMER INFORMATION PACK BEFORE THE EVENT.**

Finishers in all events will receive a medal.

The 200m Henley Splash will not be timed. There will be participation certificates for all finishers in addition to the medal.

Prizes will be awarded for junior events only. Presentations for the junior half mile (age groups 9-13 & 14-17) will be made shortly after the event.

The results for the junior mile, suits vs skins and 4x Challenge will not be available until the last swimmers have finished, and awards will therefore be sent out by post. All swim times will be available at the event and also sent to you by text. Full results will be available online after all waves are complete.

The Henley Splash is a participation event to give beginners an introduction to open water swimming events. The Splash will not be timed. ALL swimmers will receive a medal and certificate of achievement.

Adults can accompany children of 12 or under, or other swimmers requiring special assistance, free of charge.