THE blueseventy HENLEY MILE is a 1 mile endurance upstream River Thames
swim, held over the Henley Royal Regatta course.
Junior Races
The Henley Half Mile over 800m
The Henley Splash – over 200m
Download the blueseventy Henley Mile Information Pack for full event details of this event.
Event Details
This event is an endurance upstream River Thames swimming event, held
over the 
boomed course of the Henley Royal Regatta. It is perfect for experienced open water swimmers who are looking for their next open water challenge. As with the Henley Classic, our normal entry categories apply.
In addition, our non-competitive Sporting category is ideal for swimming enthusiasts who are looking to take part in their first open water swim, as they will be able to swim the course in their own time, without the pressure of being part of a race.
This family event, which will be a much more leisurely affair held throughout the day, also features The Henley Half Mile & Henley Splash (200m) for 8 to 14 year olds, so bring along your family and friends, do your swim, enjoy the stunning race surroundings and have a great day out.
As in 2011, this event will serve as a qualifier for the following year’s ‘Classic’.
Featuring the Additional Event Challenges
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
H2Open ”
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 first swim will be in the 9.30am wave and the second swim will be held later in the morning.
The winner will be the person with the fastest total time for the two miles – but everyone taking part will see what difference swimming in a wetsuit really makes.
The entry fee for this Challenge is £7.
How to Enter
To enter, simply select this challenge on the Additional Activities section of the online entry form.
This particular challenge is open to anyone who takes part in both the Henley Classic and the Henley Mile. The winner will be the person who completes both races in the quickest time.
How to Enter
Simply select the Henley Classic Mile Challenge box on the Additional Activities page when you enter the Henley Mile. Please note that your entry into this challenge will not be valid unless you also have an entry in the Henley Classic.
The winner of this challenge will be announced after the Henley Mile and their name will be engraved on the Classic Mile Challenge Trophy, which will be awarded officially at The Henley Swim Ball & Awards Dinner in November 2013.
We will once again be featuring a Performance Wave for this event, to make sure that our seriously competitive swimmers get the best possible race experience, by racing alongside their closest competitors.
In order to make this a true test, this wave is only open to swimmers who aim to complete the course in less than 23 minutes. As a guide, if you have not swum the event before but are an experienced swimmer and are completing swims in the pool over 1500m in a time under 23 minutes, you would also be eligible to enter this wave.
Please note that if you enter this wave you will still be competing within your Race Entry Category.
How to Enter
You will have the opportunity to enter this wave on the Additional Activities section when you make your online entry.
It is also possible to enter as a team for this event, in either of the following team categories:-
Open Men’s Team (consisting of Traditional, Open or Masters)
Open Women’s Team (consisting of Traditional, Open or Masters)
Mixed Open Team (2 men & 2 women)
Junior Men’s Team
Junior Women’s Team
Team prizes will be awarded for each category, based on the cumulative total time recorded for each member of the team.
How to Enter a Team
When you make your Henley Mile entry, simply confirm your Team Name in the personal information page of the online entry form. All four team members will be required to complete this information.
Please note that all team members must already be entered in the Henley Mile or your team will be void.
Teams of four will compete individually over the Henley Mile course, with all team members representing their company team. The combined total of the swimmers’ times will determine the winning team, with the following team options available:-
Open Men’s Team
Open Women’s Team
Mixed Open Team (2 men & 2 women)
How to Enter a Team
When you make your Henley Mile entry, simply confirm your Company’s Team Name in the personal information page of the online entry form. All four team members will be required to complete this information.
Please note that all team members must already be entered in the Henley Mile or your team will be void.
Entry Categories & Details
Entry Categories
Open – Men & Women
Traditional – Men & Women (Speedos or swimsuits only)
Masters 45-54 – Men & Women (on the day of the race)
Masters 55 and above – Men & Women (on the day of the race)
Junior – Men & Women aged 14 to 18 (on the day of the race)
Sporting category – A single (non-competitive) category for both Men and Women
Teams – see separate heading below
The Sporting category will start shortly after the main event, and you then have a choice of just enjoying the swim or aiming to achieve a Gold, Silver or Bronze standard based on your time. We will still need you to wear a timing chip and to adhere to all the other rules of the race, but other than that, you are free to go off at your own pace. Having said that, as with the race, you need to look at the conditions of entry and you still need to be a strong swimmer.
All swimmers should be confident of being able to swim at least 2.5kms non stop to take part in this event, (the equivalent of 100 lengths in a 25m pool). Please familiarise yourself with the notes on safety on our Event Information page.
Our Sporting category is ideal for less experienced swimmers who have not taken part in an open water swimming event.
Free One Mile Swim Training Course
If this is your first event or you are new to open water swimming, sign up to the H2Open Free One Mile Swim Training Course to help you prepare for this event, click here
Entry Fees
The Entry Fee is £35.
Mementoes
Medals are presented to the 1st, 2nd, 3rd for each category, men & women.
Every participant will receive a branded swimming cap.
Entry Process
The entry process for this event will be via online entry.
The closing date for entries to this event is midnight on Sunday 7th July 2012, unless the entry limit is reached before this date.
On the day entry may be available – check here for information on this nearer the event.
Junior Races
In addition to the main open water swim event – the Henley Mile – we will be hosting 2 races specifically for junior swimmers, from ages 8 to 14.
These include:-
- The Henley Half Mile – over 800m (9 to 14 years)
Split into 10 & under, 11 to 12 & 13 to 14 age groups.
- The Henley Splash – over 200m (8 to 12 years)
Split into under 10s, 10 to 11 & 11 to 12 age groups.
These races will take place after the Henley Mile, so that any parents who’ve already done their swim will be able to follow their children’s progress.
Swimmer Competence
Whilst Henley Swim will take all reasonable safety measures it can, it is still clearly the
responsibility of parents and guardians to make sure their young charges are capable of completing these swims, and must accompany them at all times.
Below is a guide to the experience that is required to take part in either of these races:-
is for junior swimmers who swim regularly, either with a club or at school. Swimmers competing in this event should be able to comfortably complete 1km swim in the pool (the equivalent of 40 lengths in a 25m pool)
is for less experienced swimmers. However, anyone entering this event should have completed basic swimming lessons and be comfortable treading water in the deep end of a swimming pool. Ideally they should be able to swim 20 lengths without stopping.
Entry fees for these races are as follows:-
- The Henley Half Mile £18
- The Henley Splash £15
Entries for this event are via online entry, using the link at the top of this page.
Prizes
There will be mementoes for the winner in each age group – further details to be confirmed in due course.
All competitors will be awarded a Certificate with their name, time and finishing position.
All competitors will also be entitled to a 2 for 1 offer at the Henley River & Rowing Museum, eligible to be used over the weekend of 13th and 14th July.
Junior Wetsuit Hire
The Torpedo Junior Wetsuit will be available to hire on the day. Sizes are for ages 8, 10 and 12. The on the day cost of hire is £10.
To order in advance of the event, please email georgina@henleyswim.com.
Venue Facilities
Parking is available at the venue – price to be confirmed.
Toilets and showers will be provided
Hot & cold drinks & snacks will be available at the venue.
Camping is available in Glebe campsite. Advance booking prices are
£10 per person per night. These can be booked online when you make your race
entry.
On the day camping prices are £12 per person per night. The cost of campervans is £15. Under 12s camp for FREE
Event Facilities
Wetsuit Hire
Our event sponsor blueseventy will be providing wetsuit hire for this event. For full details of the Sprint wetsuit see our wetsuit hire page. They will also be present on the day to offer advice about how to put on and wear your wetsuit to ensure ultimate performance.
Our Official Retail Partner Swimshop will be present with a range of swimwear, goggles and accessories to cater for any needs you may have on the day.
SB Sports Massage.
Post race massages will be provided by SB Sports Massage.
Sessions are £10 for 15 minutes, or £20 for 30 minutes.
These can be booked in advance of the event, or can be paid for with cash on the day.
A Physio will be in attendance, in case of any injury queries, with the option to kinesio tape pre or post swim – all included in the £10 fee.
To book in advance, please email info@sbsportsmassage.co.uk
Event memorabilia
Henley Swim hoodies and other event memorabilia will be available to purchase on the day.
Event Location & Course Details
Location
The Henley Mile is hosted at the Temple Island Meadows, RG9 3DB which is just ¾ mile from Henley town centre.
Click here for Temple Island Meadows location details
Course
The event takes place in open water, on a boomed course, free from any boats and other river users. The course runs from Temple Island Meadows and finishes just past the Upper Thames Rowing Club.
Click on the course map to enlarge
Event History
The Henley Mile was first held under the title Henley Swim Challenge, in July 2011, in response to the overwhelming demand for the original swim, The Henley Classic. The event is run after Henley Royal Regatta, and mirrors the original event in terms of the swim location and entry categories.
Frequently Asked Questions
We have far more spaces available for this event, so you should have a very good chance.
Suitable safety cover will be provided on the day, including canoes and appropriate first aid from a private medical provider.
Probably is the answer, but you do need to be realistic about this. The course is run against the stream. This is normally very slight in July, but it is occasionally rather more than this. We will decide which direction to run the swim nearer the time, but tradition dictates that it is against the stream. You should be confident of being able to swim at least 3kms in the pool, but please familiarise yourself with the Event Information notes on safety.
If you have special circumstances such as a disability or have any concerns about your ability to complete this swim, we would much rather you contacted us at enquiries@henleyswim.com before entering.
If you have any doubts, or are in any way new to open water swimming we would strongly encourage you to enter the Sporting category with a wetsuit. The traditional category is only for experienced open water swimmers – if you do intend to enter this category we would expect you to have carried out a number of open water swims in just Speedos and be completely comfortable with the lack of buoyancy and temperature.
No unfortunately not, all entries are strictly non transferable. Please refer to the T&Cs for details.
You will receive regular emails on the lead up to the event to make sure you have all the information you need on the day. However, please check back regularly as we will be updating the site with all the latest news and gossip. You can also visit our Facebook Page and sign up to follow us on Twitter.
Yes. For skin swimmers we allow flip flops, hoodie and towel – we advise these are put in a named carrier bag. For wetsuited swimmers we allow just marked flip flops. They are all put in large ‘communal’ lettered bags at the start and taken to the finish line, so all you need to do is remember which bag you put your kit in at the start. We can’t carry valuables, but there will be a car key deposit system on the day at registration.
Yes. The top 10 positions in each category (excluding the Sporting category) will automatically qualify you for the Henley Classic the following year, subject to the T&Cs and payment at that time.
This is a possibility for 2013, however, it will be dependant on whether the entry limit has been reached. Check back here for details nearer the time or keep update with our Bi-monthly Newsletter, Facebook page or follow us on Twitter.
We would be delighted to accommodate any offers of help on the day. This is an excellent way of seeing things up close, perhaps with a view to taking part next year? We will also be offering anyone who helps a goodie bag and the potential of a priority entry in the following year’s event, subject to the conditions of the swim at that time. Get in touch by emailing
georgina@henleyswim.com.
The great thing about this event is the location in relation to the start and finish. This means a pleasant walk to the start and an equally appealing saunter back. Any disabled swimmers will be offered transport, but we ask that you email us with details so we can arrange this for you in advance.
We plan to make this quite a special family-focussed event, with areas for camping and picnics, as well as an opportunity to come and see what’s new in the open water swimming world, so by all means bring your family and friends along to enjoy the occasion.
boomed course of the Henley Royal Regatta. It is perfect for experienced open water swimmers who are looking for their next open water challenge. As with the Henley Classic, our normal entry categories apply.
