Name: The Welsh Winter Swim 2025
Start: 2025-02-16T09:00:00+00:00
Location: Llyn Padarn Lake, Llanberis

The Welsh Winter Swim,
Llanberis, North Wales, UK
16th February 2025
Sponsored by Zone3
Brave the icy waters of Llyn Padarn at the coldest time of the year!
With views of ice covered Mount Snowdon, The Welsh Winter Swim includes short individual races of 50m, 100m, 250m and a tough 500m endurance challenge. Enter a single event or multiple races and you’ll receive a unique Welsh slate souvenir for each distance you complete!
Please remember the water will be very cold (approx 3-8 degrees) and it is essential that you acclimatise to cold water swimming sufficiently before taking part in these races.
Wetsuit and non-wetsuit entries are available.
The Categories:
- Challenge swim = Swim fast or chill out and chat – swim any stroke you like.
- Head up breaststroke = the traditional cold water swimming style allowing swimmers to compete in cold conditions without getting brain freeze! The rules are simple – you must ensure that your eyes do not go below the water level at any time during the race. Swimmers are encouraged to wear a warm hat for this race, or get crafty and create their own head wear – the more wacky the better. There will be a winner of ‘Best Hat of the Day’: our themes this year are ‘Environment’ or ‘World Peace’. (Please consider the environment when making/purchasing hats and make sure that any hat you wear will not cause any pollution to the lake – no bits that can fall off or glitter etc – thank you!)
- Inflatables = This is fun event where you must complete the 50m on an inflatable.
Events/Distances:
- 50m Inflatables
- 50m Challenge swim
- 50m Heads up
- 100m Challenge swim
- 100m Heads up
- 250m Challenge swim
- 250m Heads up
- 500m Challenge swim – this will be a tough 500m event for very experienced cold water swimmers only. This can be swum heads up or front crawl. In order to compete in this event, you will need to prove that you have already swum at least 350m in 5 degrees or less in the 2023/24 winter season. You will need to bring your qualifying swim form (it will be emailed to you) with you on the day, signed by you and your witness, or you will not be able to compete in this event. You must also ensure that you have someone with you to wait at the finish line to look after you after the swim in case you need help dressing and warming up.
You may enter single or multiple races. If necessary due to large numbers entering we may have start waves to prevent crowding and to make the swims more enjoyable for all.
There will be a warm indoor cafe and changing space with showers for you to use but you will be outdoors for the majority of the event so please come prepared with towelling robes, warm robes, warm hats, flasks of warm drink etc.
Wetsuit and non-wetsuit places are available!
Check out our other open water swimming and Swimrun events too!
For more information and to enter:
https://loveswimrun.co.uk/the-welsh-winter-swim/