Description
Be a part of the largest open water swimming event on the planet!
Each year the Midmar Mile draws thousands of competitors, from serious international athletes and Olympic medallists to purely recreational swimmers.
The event is named for the location, Midmar Dam, and the distance which is almost 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. This sees 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 strike out in several groups at two-minute intervals in eight batches over two days. Group divisions are based on a qualifying time in a previous event, with the fastest group leaving first.
Midmar Mile 2012
& Surrounds
* We rely on Google's mapping service, and the location information supplied to
us to show street view images. Please use street view as a guide only as we cannot
guarantee its accuracy.
*Distances are shown as the crow flies and not necessarily the actual travelling
distance.