Midmar Mile
Encyclopedia
The Midmar Mile is a swimming race held annually in February at the Midmar Dam
north of Pietermaritzburg
, South Africa
. Each year, it draws thousands of competitors, from serious international athletes and Olympic
medallists to purely recreational swimmers.
In 2009 the event, in which 13 755 compentitors finished the race, was recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's largest open water swimming event.
The event gains its name from the location (Midmar Dam
) and the distance (roughly one mile). A unique feature of the race is that while the distance covered is always a mile, depending on rainfall and the water levels in the dam, the distance swum varies from year to year. In years with poor rainfall, competitors are subject to the infamous Midmar sprint start: a bedlam of bodies sprinting across the muddy lake-shore and through the shallows until the water is deep enough to swim.
In order to handle the vast number of competitors, the swimmers swim out in several groups at two-minute intervals in 8 batches over two days; the group division is based on a qualifying time in a previous event, with the fastest group leaving first.
Midmar Dam
Midmar Dam is a dam and recreation area near Pietermaritzburg , South Africa. Boating, swimming, waterskiing, picnicing, and fishing are popular pastimes at Midmar Dam. Each year, the Midmar Mile swimming race is held there, which organizers call "the world's largest open water swimming event"....
north of Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg is the capital and second largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was founded in 1838, and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality. Its "purist" Zulu name is umGungundlovu, and this is the name used for the district municipality...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. Each year, it draws thousands of competitors, from serious international athletes and Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
medallists to purely recreational swimmers.
In 2009 the event, in which 13 755 compentitors finished the race, was recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's largest open water swimming event.
The event gains its name from the location (Midmar Dam
Midmar Dam
Midmar Dam is a dam and recreation area near Pietermaritzburg , South Africa. Boating, swimming, waterskiing, picnicing, and fishing are popular pastimes at Midmar Dam. Each year, the Midmar Mile swimming race is held there, which organizers call "the world's largest open water swimming event"....
) and the distance (roughly one mile). A unique feature of the race is that while the distance covered is always a mile, depending on rainfall and the water levels in the dam, the distance swum varies from year to year. In years with poor rainfall, competitors are subject to the infamous Midmar sprint start: a bedlam of bodies sprinting across the muddy lake-shore and through the shallows until the water is deep enough to swim.
In order to handle the vast number of competitors, the swimmers swim out in several groups at two-minute intervals in 8 batches over two days; the group division is based on a qualifying time in a previous event, with the fastest group leaving first.