Tenth Annual Great River Swim Results

Chiswick Eyot Mile course starting and finishing at Chiswick Pier

The tenth annual Great River Swim was held over the Chiswick Eyot Mile course on Saturday 25th June.

There was a close race between the faster swimmers with Oliver Newcombe (David Lloyd Cardiff, 22mins 24secs) just finishing ahead of last year's winner George Beecher(Tooting, 22:26) and first woman and youngest competitor 19 year-old Lara Nyman (Team Viper, Pinner) who lowered her female course record to 22:27.  These were followed in by Kevin Davies (Farnham Tri Club, 22:45), Clinton Pascoe (Out to Swim, Deptford, 23:50) and the first veteran (over 40) Marc Anley (Optima Racing Team, Barnes, 24:26).

The race within a race among the ChiswickW4 residents was won by Simon Griffiths of Speldhurst Road in Bedford Park, 14th overall in 28:05.  Simon, a member of Ealing Swimming Club, was wearing hat 100, easy to pick out in the photograph taken seconds after the start at Chiswick Pier on Corney Reach. 

Other ChiswickW4 swimmers were Rick Cotgreave (Brackley Road, 29:25), Duncan Ellis (Cranbrook Road, 36:40), Jo Beddington (Fairlawn Avenue, 38:37), Graeme Tulloch (Chiswick Mall, 38:43), Paul Lund (Lattimer Place, 40:55), Clare Buckle (Dukes Avenue, 43:47), Neal Gordon (Linden Gardens, 45:00) and Andrew Moody (Cranbrook Road, 46:28).

The first of many swimmers who chose not to wear a wetsuit was Nicholas Murch (Romford Town Swimming Club, 25:10).  The water temperature was 17 deg Celsius.

The event, in aid of RNLI, attracted 104 starters of whom 101 finished, up from the 71 who swam the mile in 2010.  The finishers included two septuagenarians, members of the Serpentine Club, who braved the tidal Thames without wetsuits.  Safety cover was provided by London Corinthian Sailing Club, Chiswick Pier Canoe Club and other craft kept on Chiswick Pier.   Post race refreshments were provided in part by the Chiswick Sea Cadets.

The provisional dates for the next Great River Swims are Saturday 14th July 2012 and Saturday 31st August 2013.  It is planned to offer the 1000m race course again in 2012. 

Full results are available at www.tri247.com.

All enquiries to greatriverswim@blueyonder.co.uk

July 6, 2011