Long-distance swimming covers all those swimming events held in open water, such as rivers, lakes and seas (which is why it is called open water swimming). It is divided into four categories: middle-distance swimming (up to 5 km), long-distance swimming (up to 15 km), ultra-distance swimming (up to 25 km) and marathon swimming (over 25 km).
Long-distance swimming has become much more popular recently due to the triathlon, which begins with a swim.
Due to the conditions in which they take place, open water swimming competitions are affected by various factors:
Weather factors, such as wind, waves and/or currents, water temperature and density.
Strategic factors, such as deciding whether to swim at the front of the race or in the group, how often to eat and drink during a race.
Environmental factors, such as the distinctive features of courses, either swum over several laps and, therefore, beginning and ending in the same place, or races held in more or less regular stretches of water, which start and finish in different places.
Races held over different distances (from 5 km-25 km), lots of people taking part, long races (over 2 hours) and frequent changes in pace during the race itself….. what comes to mind?
That’s right!! Running…
