Aquasphere Chillswim Ullswater 2024 will be held on Saturday 13th July at Parkfoot Holiday Park on the outskirts of Pooley Bridge, this will be the 5th edition of this incredible swimming challenge!

Swimmers will complete the full length of lake swim in separate starts based on your average mile pace to give you the best experience possible. As with all of our events this will be a wetsuit optional swim.

2024 Pre Race Documentation/Information

CLICK HERE for the Chillswim Ullswater 2024 Swimmer Information Pack – not yet available

To view 2024 Swim Wave & Start times CLICK HERE (excel) or CLICK HERE (pdf) – not yet available

Entry fee and what’s included:

Standard entry fee is £135 per person, which includes:

• Transport to the start from race HQ at Parkfoot Holiday Park
• Professional water safety team supporting the swim 
• Feed stations along the route providing energy drinks & jelly sweets!
• Chillswim Ullswater silicone event swim hat
• Chillswim Ullswater bespoke event medal
• Chillswim Ullswater bespoke event hoody for each participant
• Age Group trophies for wetsuit & non-wetsuit categories 

Route:

The route starts at the south of the lake in Glenridding and finishes at the North end just outside Pooley Bridge at Parkfoot Holiday Park. After the first mile swimmers will keep within approximately 50 metres of the shore and event mile marker buoys and support watercraft will direct swimmers. 

Feed stations:

There will be 6 x boat feed stations along the route near to the shore approximately every mile of the swim – stocked with water, energy drink and jelly babies.

Mandatory swim-float Use:

You must wear a swim tow-float/dry bag for this event.  Please note that the entry fee does not include a tow-float, you can purchase one at point of entry or see them HERE

How does the event work:

Here are a few tips on how the event flows and what to expect:

• Arrive at the Event HQ either the evening before or the morning of the swim and we’ll give you your race pack with swim hat, timing chip, tow float sticker and wrist band for your allocated bus shuttle time.  
• Wetsuit swimmers can get changed at the Event HQ with baggage storage available. 
• Non wetsuit swimmers take a small bag with them to the start, with baggage transport to the finish.
• You board the bus according to your event start time (based on your predicted mile pace).
• We have a large marquee at the start for shade (!) or rain (?) and a relaxed atmosphere to prepare you for your full length of lake swim.
• A full event briefing is given to you at the start of the swim.
• As you set off, water safety kayakers and support boats are there to look out for and support you.  
• 7 x Mile and 7 x half mile markers are positioned along the route to help guide you down the lake with feed stations starting at mile 1 and then every mile up to and including mile 6.
• You can stop for a drink at the feed stations or swim past and continue on your swim for the 7.5 mile route. 
• At the finish, your medal is placed around your neck, a warm drink awaits.  
• Changing Shelters are available at the Finish Area.
• Although this event is about taking part and completing the journey, we do have prizes for the fastest overall swimmers and trophies in each age group for both wetsuit and non-wetsuit swimmers. 

What Mile Swim Time should I submit when I enter? 

The entry system asks for your Mile Swim Pace, if you don’t know, then please go to the swimming pool and time yourself swimming for 1 Mile (1 Mile = 1600 metres or 64 lengths in a standard 25 metre pool or 32 lengths in a 50 meter pool) this will then give you a good indication of what pace you will be able to sustain over the entire swim but please bear in mind the maximum pace that we require for swimmers to be capable of over the full 7.5 mile swim is 65mins per mile.

Many people tend to underestimate their Mile Swim Time or add a slower Mile Time to ‘play it safe’ which creates problems in the first half of the event, as you will start your swim in a wave and the water safety team cannot move away from the wave for individual swimmers who are swimming faster than the others. In simple terms, if you add a time which is too slow for your ability, it is likely that you will be asked by the water safety team to slow down in the early part of the race and your finish time will be affected. The event is designed in a way that the waves start to merge once swimmers get passed halfway and it is then less of an issue but please try to submit an accurate mile pace.

If you need to change your Mile Time before the event then simply log back into the entry system at https://www.resultsbase.net the go to ‘My Area’ and ‘ Tickets’ then find the relevant Ticket and go to ‘Changes’ and ‘ Edit Questions’ and the first question you will see is for your Mile Time – you can change your Mile Time up to one month before the event. 

On the day the more relaxed pace swimmers (65 min/Mile Time) start first and approximately every 20-30 mins a slightly faster paced group will enter the water. 

You will have a much better experience during the swim if you submit an accurate Mile Swim Time and you are grouped correctly.

What time does the event finish?

Swimmers will arrive at the finish between 13.00 and 16.30 (approximately) and prize giving will be held as soon as possible after the last swimmer is out of the water, back at the event HQ. If you stay for the prize giving you can expect to be on the road by 17.00hrs.

Is there an age limit?

Competitors must be a minimum of 17 years old on the day of the event. There is no upper age limit.

Is there a cut off time?

We have a cut-off swim time of 65 minutes per mile, so with the staggered starts, the last swimmer must be out of the water at the finish line by 16.30hrs. There is also a mid course cut off of 13:30hrs at mile 4 to ensure the final cut off can be met by all swimmers in the water.

When does registration open?

Registration will be open on Friday from 16.00 – 20.00hrs, and on Saturday morning from 06.15hrs to allow those early swimmers to register on either day.

Can I swim with a friend?

If you and your friend swim at the same speed and you have added the same estimated pace into the registration system, then you will be placed in the same start group. However, we recommend that you don’t try to compromise your own pace to swim with a friend. We have found that inevitably one person is faster than the other, which can be frustrating for you and cause the faster swimmer to get cold waiting for the other swimmer.

Stop The Spread?

Protecting our fresh waters from Invasive None Native Species (INNS) is something that we must all address as a collective responsibility, so we are able to continue using lakes and rivers for leisure pursuits. Freshwater INNS are able to ‘hitchhike’ on our equipment, footwear and clothing. When we move to a new river, tarn or lake, a species may be transferred and may become established, often having devastating effects. As open water swimmers, we need to look after our swimming venues and help to educate others too. Read about how you can Stop The Spread HERE.