About Love SwimRun

Where We Started

The idea to organise our first swimrun event was born in 2015 when I (Chloe) entered my first swimrun which was in Loch Lomand in Scotland. It was the first year that any swimrun events had taken place in the UK and swimrun as a sport was in it’s infancy. Hardly anyone had even heard of swimrun, there were no swimrun wetsuits available in the UK and it was all about customising old kit and making your own elasticated pull buoys! 

The event in Loch Lomand was was 31km with 8km of swimming across the loch and over it’s Islands. It was a team only event and I really struggled to find someone willing to take on the challenge with me. Eventually I found an old colleague who I knew did triathlons and persuaded him to join me. Unfortunately we lived too far away to train together, only really meeting up on the day before the event! I was never in it to win it, I just love taking on a challenge and having fun, but we were just not compatible in our speed and fitness and ended up at t he back of the pack and I was getting very cold having had to swim very slowly to stay together. The rules of swimrun state you always have to stay together with your team mate, usually less than 10m apart at any time. We did manage to meet the cut off time for the full route but then at about the half way point my partner decided to throw in the towel and it was game over. I was not allowed to carry on alone so the race was over for me too.  

It was frustrating and disappointing after all the time I had spent training, and the money spent entering and travelling to take part, but it was just one of those things and I still enjoyed the event. I had a brilliant few days swimming and hiking in Scotland anyway.  On the way back to Wales I reflected on what had happened and on what a great sport swimrun is. I loved the freedom and sense of adventure it gave me and the way swimrun takes you on a seamless journey through both beautiful natural landscapes and aquatic environments. It blends two of my favourite things to do, running and swimming, into one great, fun workout! It seemed such a shame to me that the few events that where taking place were so extreme in terms of distance and that you had to be a team of two to take part. Whilst I love the team element of swimrun and that unique element to it, it does seem to restrict a lot of people from taking part…

By the time we had driven home, I’d decided I was going to organise my own swimrun in North Wales, that it would be a shorter distance and would allow solo entries as well as teams. I wanted to give as many people as possible the opportunity to try out swimrun, so it was going to be a fun and accessible event that would be inclusive. 

So that is what I did! Organising inclusive, achievable, fun, friendly, welcoming events is now at the heart of everything that I do.

5 Years On… 

Love SwimRun launched in 2016 with our inaugural event Love SwimRun Llanberis, the first swimrun event in Wales!  Love SwimRun Llanberis a hilly 16km course which takes place in June in Llyn Padarn, Padarn Country Park. There is also a sprint course (6km) in which juniors can also take part. You can enter as a solo participant or as a team of two. You’ll need to sign up fast for this fun challenge as we only have limited spaces! 

2017 saw the launch the new ‘Swim Train’ series, with The Big Welsh Swim! A multi distance open water swim in Llanberis with a choice to swim the length of the lake, either once, twice or three times! We have a mid length (1.3km) and a 500m option too, plus spaces for juniors and a non-wetsuit option.

We also now have The Big Bala Swim with 250m, 500m, 1.5km, 4.5km and 9km options.

In February 2020 I staged the first The Welsh Winter Swim: A fun but freezing cold water challenge! The Welsh Winter Swim includes short individual races of 50m, 100m, 250m and a tough 500m endurance challenge.  

In 2019 I began offering smaller, more personal guided events including The Secret SwimWalk – a relaxing day out exploring the tracks, footpaths and lakes in Northern Snowdonia. I love running these events and having the time to get to know the participants better. Many of them come back to do more than one day. 

I also now also offer spectacular guided swims down the Menai Strait! This is a rare opportunity to swoosh for 6.5km or 4km down the narrow and dangerous channel of sea that separates the Island of Anglesey from mainland North Wales. The team will guide you safely through the bubbling ‘Swellies’ and under the two historic bridges!

I am qualified as a STA Level 2 Open Water Swimming Coach and I run fun introduction courses and coaching sessions for open water swimming and swimrun. 

Who we are