Rockwood Mudskipper SwimRun Challenge

Calling all SwimRun enthusiasts. Come on out to Rockwood Park for a great multi-sport event. Our race will cover a variety of swim and run distances all within Rockwood Park and featuring Lily Lake and Fisher Lakes and many of the fantastic trails around the park. The runs will be on a mix of gravel trail, road, single track and grass but will mostly be offroad.

Rockwood Park Swim Run will be a qualifying event for the Canadian Individual SwimRun Championships in Sudbury on July 28. Top 2 men and top 2 women will gain free entry into this race.

There will be 2 races starting at the same time. Race 1 will be for Individuals and will be eligible for the Canadian Individual SwimRun Championships in Sudbury on July 28. Top 2 men and top 2 women will gain free entry into this race. Race 2 will be for teams of 2 people racing over exactly the same course but all team athletes must start together, swim together, run together and finish together.

Total Distance: 8k - 10k

For those interested in trying a Mudskipper SwimRun Challenge but are looking for a shorter distance, come on out and give SwimRun a try with this unique event. With roughly 3k of swimming and 5k of running, this is a great way to try this new and exciting event.

Course: The course will start at the Interpretation Center in Rockwood Park and will wind its way through the park taking in Lily Lake and Fisher Lakes for our swims and a mix of trails, road, single track and grass for our runs. Each Run and swim will be of varying distances.

While SwimRun events can range in distances and terrain covered, the following features tend to be common throughout:

• Multiple legs, athletes alternate between swimming and running numerous times over a variety of distances.
• Fewer regulations when compared to ITU or triathlon events.
• Swimming aids (Paddles, fins, pull buoys and wetsuits) are permitted, but must be worn/carried during the run. Likewise, running shoes must be worn or carried during the swim. So you must carry everything with you at all times during the race - you will be DQ'd for discarding equipment at any point during the race.

Race Equipment

Wetsuit -Wearing of wetsuits is optional for most SwimRun events. For those who prefer to wear a wetsuit you don’t need to have a SwimRun specific model to take part – any swimming (Tri) wetsuit will do so long as you can move freely enough in it to run and it will keep you warm enough on long swims. You may overheat with a full body wetsuit during the run portions.

Shoes -The shoes you wear for SwimRun not only need to be comfortable for the long distances of technical trail running that you’ll be doing in your race but also need to be suitable for use in the water. Make sure they are a snug fit so they don’t come off when swimming and that they don’t soak up much water and drain well. Running with wet shoes on slippery rocks requires good traction so good grip soles are essential!

Swim cap - In many SwimRun competitions the organizer provides a swimming cap (we will be providing Canaqua Sports swim caps). These are mandatory for all participants.

Goggles - Goggles are essential to avoid getting water in your eyes. Some participants carry a second pair of spare goggles incase they lose them whilst running. Think about how you are going to carry them if you take them off your head to run.

Hand paddles - Many people use hand paddles for SwimRun. These add some extra power to your strokes by increasing the ‘catch’ area of your hand. There are many different types of paddles on the market, but you’ll need some that have straps to hold it on your hand or they can easily come off and be lost in open water. You’ll also need to think about how you are going to carry them on your runs and practice your transitions – getting out on rocky ground is hard when your have paddles on your hands!

Pull buoy - SwimRun rules state that you can use any flotation aids so long as they are no bigger than 100 cm x 60 cm! Most people use a pull buoy.This float, which you hold between your legs instead of kicking, gives you extra buoyancy and allows you to save your legs during the swims. Using a pull buoy is generally why people decide to use the hand paddles as the extra propulsion makes up for the loss of the power from the kick.

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