Arla Great North Swim 2025

The 10k marathon swim is suitable for regular swimmers who are capable and confident of taking on longer distances. Putting in the hours of training for this distance is highly recommended. The entry age is 18 years old and over (on event day) and anyone who enters must be able to swim 10k unaided, within 4 hours. This swim is generally 6 laps of the standard 1 mile course.

This distance is suited to experienced, confident swimmers looking to go that little bit further. A 5k swim is equivalent to around 200 lengths of a standard 25m pool. For this distance cut-off times apply: swimmers must be able to reach halfway (2500m) within 1 hour and finish within 2 hours.

2 miles is the perfect event for open water swimmers looking for a longer challenge and who have maybe tried an open water swim before. A 2 mile swim is equivalent to around 125 lengths of a standard 25m pool and the average completion time is around 1 hour 15 minutes.

The 1 mile is suitable for swimmers of all abilities and is equivalent to 64 lengths of a standard 25m pool. The average completion time is approx 40 minutes. You can choose to enjoy a leisurely breaststroke while taking in the scenery or kick into crawl for a faster time.

A great introduction to outdoor swimming, the ½ mile is the equivalent to around 32 lengths of a standard 25m pool. The average completion time to complete the ½ mile distance is approx 20 minutes.

Returning by popular demand is the Swim250 option, which is perfect for anyone aged 8 years old and over. The Swim250 (250 metres) is the equivalent to 10 lengths of a standard 25m pool, and is a great choice if you’re looking to try the open water for the first time, or if you’d like swim with the family.

*Note: All 8-11-year-olds must be accompanied by an adult (therefore needing 2 tickets, one for each swimmer). Anyone aged 12 or over can take on the swim as an individual.