Club Races & Records

The swimmers of the Serpentine Swimming Club race every Saturday morning throughout the year, regardless of the weather, unless there is ice present.

The races take place at 8am on Saturdays, and are open to paid-up members.

The Bridge to Bridge race and races that are 1 mile or over start at 7:30am (The Rosie George Cup & the Radford Mile Cup).

Race Principles

1. The handicapping team on the day has the final decision on any and all race matters.

2. There is no right of appeal of race results.

3. The handicapping team can choose to disqualify or demote any participant, including the person first over the finish line.

4. Races are not regulated by any external bodies.

5. If a swimmer wishes to test their abilities they should swim in a scratch race, as handicapping is not an exact science.

Race handicap

1. Handicaps are usually assigned following participation in three consecutive races.

2. The handicapping team may choose to assess more than three consecutive races before assigning a handicap.

3. The handicapping team has ultimate discretion over how, to whom and when it assigns a handicap.

Most races are handicapped by the Hon. Handicapper (Dani Lobo) so that every swimmer has an equal chance of winning. The slowest swimmers go off first and the faster ones chase after them at various intervals. Members are only eligible to win prizes after they have participated in enough races for the handicapper to correctly gauge their swimming ability. This is at least 3 races, but does depend on the Hon. Handicapper’s discretion.

To be added to the handicap list

If you want to race and be added to the handicap list:

1. Swimmers not on the handicap list to speak to the Handicapper before the race starts at 8am to let the Handicapper know they want to race. This applies to both handicapped and scratch races.
2. If it is a handicap race, the Handicapper will note their name down and give them a start time. If it is a scratch race the Handicapper will note their name down.
3. To make it into the handicap list, a swimmer must complete 3 consecutive races.
4. A swimmer will be removed from the handicap list after missing 12 consecutive races.

Saturday races have a long tradition in the Serpentine Swimming Club. They allow club members to exhibit their competitive edge, but above all they are an enabler for people to connect and create the sense of community the club aims to foster. The races, like many other aspects of the club, are run by volunteers, and we encourage anyone who wants to make a difference in the club to put their hand up to help and make the club better for everybody.

Championship races

There are 5 Championship races per year (55 yards, 110 yards, 220 yards, 440 yards and 880 yards). In these races all swimmers start the race at the same time and accumulate points towards the Club Championship. This is awarded to the swimmer with the most points after the final race of the series. The Championship races are indicated on the race lists by an asterisk.