The Menai Strait SwimRun

£125 per person (+£5 booking fee) = Total £130

Join us for this fantastic opportunity to swimrun the stunning Menai Strait, the narrow and dangerous channel of sea that separates the Island of Anglesey from mainland North Wales! We will guide you on some stunning runs and swims through the bubbling ‘Swellies’, past the two historic bridges and show you interesting landmarks, views of snowdonia and a variety of wildlife in this beautiful, Special Area of Conservation.

The Menai Strait

The Menai Strait, or Afon Menai as it is known locally, is the 16 mile long sea channel that separates Anglesey from mainland Wales. It is connected to the mainland by Thomas Telford’s Menai Suspension Bridge built 194 years ago. It is grade one listed and a candidate to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Robert Stephenson’s Britannia Bridge also connects the island, by road and by rail, a little further along the straits.

The Strait varies in width from about 400m to three quarters of a mile. The name ‘Menai’ comes from Welsh main-aw, meaning ‘narrow water.’ The central region (between the two bridges) is known as the ‘Swellies’; this is a unique environment with strong, reversing tidal flows (sometimes reaching speeds of 4 metres per second), rapid currents and swirling whirlpools. The Strait also has many small, offshore islands, and rocks close to the surface of the water that. need to be navigated. It is a very dangerous place to swim without expert guidance!

It's not a race!

This is a guided swimming challenge, not a race, so there will be no medal for you at the end, but you will take away with you some fantastic memories, some new friends, and a big smile! It is imperative for safety that we all stay together and move at the same pace. You will not be allowed to run or swim off ahead and no one will be left behind! This event is all about the fun and the experience of swimming in The Menai Strait. We will be floating some sections so we can enjoy the views and there will be some jumping off rocks too! 

We will provide the following:

The ratio of safety crew to swimmers will be 5:12

• Qualified Guides: You’ll have no worries about getting lost, just relax and enjoy your surroundings and the runs and swims!
• Water safety & support: We will have a power boat driven by crew experienced in negotiation the waters of the Strait. We will also have an experienced safety kayaker who will guide you through the tricky sections and a tail end guide to keep an eye on everyone and make sure we all stay together. If you get too tired or too cold to finish the swim you will be able to get into the support boat to finish the journey.
• First Aid: Guides are first aid trained and will be carrying first aid kits.

Pace, Ability & Experience

You MUST have previous experience of SwimRun and of sea swimming in choppy conditions and be a confident and strong swimmer. This swim is a committing and dangerous undertaking. Please be sure that your swimming ability is in-line with the criteria set out below and that you are happy with the our terms and conditions before entering. If during the swim you are unable to keep up with the group you will be retired from the swim.

The swimming speed of the members of the group will vary so please be aware that you may not be traveling as fast as you might if you were running or swimming alone! The emphasis is on keeping going, not speed! The pace will be dictated by the guide, taking into account the ability of the group as a whole. You will need a good level of fitness to take part and will need to keep moving at a good pace to keep warm. If you struggle during the event and this begins to impact on the well being of the rest of the group we will politely ask you to get into the support boat.

All participants must be 18+ years old.

Participation criteria

To take part in The Menai Strait Swimrun you should:
– Be able to run at least 16km at reasonable pace (about 7kph)
– Be experienced in off road running on uneven and slippery surfaces.
– Be able to swim at a minimum speed of 1km per 26 minutes with minimal rest.
– Be able to swim a minimum of 2km in one go with minimal rest.
– Be able to put in bursts of a few minutes of strong, fast swimming when required to during this distance.
– Have experience of swimming in rough sea conditions and fast flowing water and be happy and confident in this environment.

Being used to sea swimming in rough conditions is very important – you must be comfortable with the salt water, low water visibility, waves and strong currents. The tides in the straits are very strong and fast so you need to be a confident swimmer. At times you will be required to put in some speed, sometimes fighting strong currents. This requires speed and strength in short bursts. There is limited opportunity to stop and rest in the swims but we will rest in the eddy currents and there will be times when we can float along with the current. As a last resort if you get too cold or tired you can get in the boat. The fast current will carry us a long way so the swim distances will actually feel shorter than they are, BUT, you do need to swim at times, you can’t just float along!

This swim is a serious, committing and dangerous undertaking. You may be asked to supply evidence of your swimming ability before your entry will be accepted. See website page for details: www.loveswimrun.co.uk/menaistraitswim/

The swimming speed of the members of the group will vary so please be aware that you may not be traveling as fast as you might if you were swimming alone! The emphasis is on keeping going, not speed! The pace will be dictated by the guide, taking into account the ability of the group as a whole. You will need a good level of fitness to take part and will need to keep moving at a good pace to keep warm. If you struggle during the event and this begins to impact on the well being of the rest of the group we will politely ask you to get into the support boat.

Equipment required:

Wetsuit and tow float are compulsory – NO EXCEPTIONS, please do not ask!

Compulsory kit:
– Wetsuit: Full or shortie (we recommend full as we could be in the water for a while and there may be jellyfish)
– Brightly coloured swimming specific tow float
– Brightly coloured swimming hat that Love SwimRun will supply
– Off road trail running shoes with a good amount of grip. (There is varied terrain – uneven ground can be rocky, rooty, wet and very slippery)

We strongly recommend you wear/carry:
– Thermal/insulating layers underneath your wetsuit
– Neoprene accessories – gloves, socks, hat
– Googles
– Energy gel/bar & water
– Mobile phone in waterproof case

Optional kit you can use if you wish:
– hand paddles
– Pull buoy (must be attached to you)
(Tethers are not allowed to be used on this event for safety reasons)

How to enter

You can only enter this event for yourself. You cannot enter multiple people as everyone must agree to he the terms and conditions themselves. 

Before you enter, please be sure that you have the necessary swimming ability and experience (listed above) to complete the swim safely and to enjoy it! Please use the buttons next to the dates available above and fill in the entry form as directed. Please read the terms and conditions fully before agreeing to them.

Entries will be at the discretion of Love SwimRun Ltd. You may be asked to provide evidence of your swimming ability and experience. Acceptability of experience is the decision of Love SwimRun Ltd. The decision of Love SwimRun Ltd. is final and no disputes will be entered into.

Further Information

Further information on kit and logistics on the day will be available once you have entered.