This year we thought we’d try something entirely new. The world of wetsuits and swimming caps is something a few of us have tried before, yet the world of swimming, running and racing was less so. In an attempt to encourage more women to enter this world of swim-running, Breca asked if we’d be willing to get some more women involved. So in August, 10 of us headed to the trails and waters of the Lakes and took on the sprint distance. During the race we were pleased to see so many women taking part, and were blown away afterwards to find out that over half those racing the sprint distance were women - 121 out of 218. A huge improvement on last year.
Breca’s races are strictly done in pairs with no less than a 10 metre distance, for both safety and morale. There are marshals at several points on course and plenty of kayaks in the water, so each of us felt safe and secure. The organisers did a great job of looking after all of the entrants, especially in less than ideal August weather and with course changes. Swimming in cold lakes in a new environment can be daunting, but our teams all had an exhilarating afternoon running the trails and swimming the waters of the Lakes and it’s something each of us would do again.
If you would like to find out more about swimruns or Breca, you can take a look at their website here.