Bridge to Bridge

THE BRIDGE TO BRIDGE is a 14km long distance swim from Henley Bridge to Marlow Bridge towards the end of our summer Swim Events season.

Your Bridge to Bridge Event Information Pack will be available to download here shortlyBridge to Bridge - starting off at Henley

Event Details

Features
Swum in the style of a ‘sportive’, this event is more relaxed than a race, and is aimed only at serious open water swimmers who would like to include a long distance challenge in their summer open water swimming season. It’s not a race as such, but an opportunity for you to test yourself and take in the surroundings at the same time. Anyone who has ventured downstream from Henley will talk of stunning scenery hardly ever seen. The swim is organised into a group format, with teamwork making this a fun and satisfying event with a difference.

And don’t forget it’s with the stream which makes progress feel surprisingly easy – a bit like cycling with a tail wind the whole way!

Distance
This is a point-to-point long distance swim, from Henley to Marlow. It is 14.1 km with the stream.

Course
The course is split into 4 stages, initially running from Henley Bridge to Hambledon Lock, a distance of 4km, where the swimmers stay close to the Berkshire bank until they exit and then re-join the river south of the lock.

The next stage takes in the familiar landmarks of the Flowerpot, Medmenham, Frogmill and Danesfield before going on the Hurley Lock. After re-entering the river below Hurley, swimmers move to the left hand bank, making their way down to Temple Lock, where they will then embark on the final 2km, after which they will pass Bisham Abbey before exiting the river at Marlow Rowing Club.
Click here to view a map of the course.

Categories
Gold pod – This will be a fast challenging group, with the emphasis on short stops at locks and feed zones
Silver pod – A steadier pace for regular open water swimmers new to this sort of distance
Bronze pod – A slower group.

Similar to last year’s inaugural event, there will be 3 ‘timing canoes’ that will set a gold, silver and bronze pace. Each group will also have a second canoe following-up behind. You will be expected to stay together and work as a group, so that means the faster swimmers in each category will need to encourage and assist the slower ones at various times. These groups will be “self selecting” – the first reach of 4K will determine who goes in which group.

Eligibility
Due to the endurance nature of this event, it is only open to seasoned open water swimmers.

Entry Fee
This covers the costs for all safety measures, food during the swim, insurance, use of the facilities at Court Gardens and other event expenses. It does not include food and drinks at the end of the swim.

The closing date for entries to this event is midnight on Sunday 12th August 2012, unless the entry limit is reached before this date.

 

Other Event Information

Location

The Bridge to Bridge starts at Henley Bridge – hosted by Leander Rowing Club; and finishes at Marlow Bridge.

Parking
Both Henley and Marlow have public car parks which will be available to use. Parking is free on Sundays in Henley, and there is only a small charge in Marlow. Court Gardens is a bit more expensive though if you decide to park there! All are within a 5 minute walk of where you need to be!

Please Note- there is no parking either at Leander or Marlow Rowing Clubs, where you will be getting in and out of the water.

 


Our Official Retail Partner Mailsports, a local Bourne End company which has traded as a Swim Specialist for over 30 years, will be present with a small range of swimwear, goggles and accessories, to cater for any needs you may have on the day.

They have enhanced their range to include both Wetsuits and Triathlon suits, and offer an unrivalled range of swimwear and accessories from established brands such as Maru, Speedo, Tyr, Blue Seventy, 2XU, Orca, Zoggs and Aquasphere.

For purchases of swimwear, wetsuits or accessories in advance of the event, please visit www.mailsports.co.uk

 


Post race massages will be provided by SB Sports Massage.
Sessions are £10 for 15 minutes, bookable in advance by emailing info@sbsportsmassage.co.uk

Wetsuit hire and Event memorabilia will be available on the day

Mementos
Each swimmer will receive a memento

Event History
The Bridge to Bridge long distance swim was first officially held in 2011; for the last decade, a small team of swimmers have swum from Henley Bridge to Marlow Bridge as a ‘season-ender’. We’ve been running this event informally under the format described above, as we think this is the best way to get a bunch of swimmers from A to B, over such a long distance, without it being prohibitively expensive.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

How long will it take?
We expect the fastest swimmers to take around 3 hours, and the slowest around 5 hours, depending on the conditions.

Am I capable of doing this?
Due to the long distances, only seasoned open water swimmers are encouraged to enter. Timing cut-off points will be in place to keep the swimmers in some kind of order, mainly due to safety reasons – and safety is our number one priority; quickly followed by an amazing challenge and stunning scenery. Please note that if you drop off the back of your group you can join the following group. However, if you start to struggle in the bronze group, you may be asked to leave the water at the next available point that is sensible. We’ll have official cars on standby to sweep-up any retirees – having said all that, we’ll do all we can to make sure you finish the swim safely.

What safety measures are in place?
At pre-determined and easy to access points along the course, we will have a medic on standby to assist with any emergencies. We will also have marshals at the feeding station checkpoints, and numerous canoes. You will never be more than a few meters from the bank, so if possible, get to the side by yourself.

What about food and drink during the swim?
As part of your entry fee, we will be providing suitable food and drink for swimmers along the course; but you will still need some kind of personal support plan. You may like to consider teaming up with another swimmer(s) to make sure you have transport to and from the start and finish, with access to dry clothing, etc. Ideally though, a ‘swim supporter’ with a car is the best solution.

Am I happy with all this disclaimer stuff?
This is our means of telling you there is a risk, and your means of telling us you are happy with these risks.

Are wetsuits compulsory?
Yes, but possibly no, so skins swimmers, read on! Due to the fact that the water will be cooling down, and the long distance nature of the swim, we are insisting that everyone wears a wetsuit. Over the years we have seen the hardiest of swimmers fall by the wayside, so have made the decision to make the wearing of proper triathlon-style swimming wetsuits compulsory, along with hats provided by the event. Please click here to contact Mailsports, who can advise you further. However, for the serious skins swimmers out there, we will consider on a case-by-case basis entries that will adhere to our ‘Traditional Category’ rules. One stipulation is that you will be allocated with your own canoe cover at an additional cost of £30. Please email us for further details and costs involved.

Can I shoot the weirs?
No. This would be dangerous and is not going to happen. There will be marker buoys at the points where you must enter and exit the water safely. No diving is permitted at any point. We will have event marshals at the various entry points, and anyone seen diving will be eliminated from the event.

How do I get from one exit point to the next entry point?
You walk. If you want to, you can arrange for your ‘swim supporter’ to give you shoes etc for the transition around the locks, but it is perfectly safe to walk, as long as you are careful. People have been doing it for years without incident, so shoes are not essential. For the record though, there is an absolute minimum to be covered on foot; we estimate around 100m in total! Look for the small orange buoys for your exit and entry points!

Can my ‘swim supporter’ follow me along the whole route?
Yes. In fact we are going to encourage it. The more ‘spotters’ we have the better. There is access to the whole route either by foot or better, by mountain bike.

What do I do once I get to Marlow?
There will be showers, and food to buy at Court Garden; but you need to have your own support plan in place to get you ‘home and dry’.

Is there going to be any special training organised for this swim?
Yes. The team at Henley Swim have recognised the need for focussed training for this swim event. Keep checking back on the website and Facebook for news on this.

I’ve heard there is going to be an individual course record?
The Henley Swim has invited a select group of swimmers to complete the course individually to set a mark for each of our ‘usual’ event categories. More details on this will be provided in due course.