The Club Championship is decided over a series of five races during winter, spring and summer over varying distances as the water warms up. This process identifies not just the fastest of the Serpentine swimmers but also a champion who competes in all weathers and temperatures.
This is the fiftieth anniversary of the introduction of the current club championship format. Prior to 1975 the club champion was decided by a one-off 880 yard (800m) scratch race in mid summer.
Grey sky and white water
A true splash and dash (photo: Debs Byatt)
After today, the other dates in the Championship Series are:
1 March, 100m (110 yards)
22 March, 200m (220 yards)
19 April, 400m (440 yards)
31 May, 800m (880 yards)
To be eligible for the club championship members must compete in at least four of the five championship races.
President Rob spoke from on high
and gave the low-down on Ros
Ros joined the then recently formed Serpentine Running Club in the early 1980s. She went on to take part in all that club’s activities from cross country and track and field to running numerous marathons and ultramarathons. Indeed, aged 49 she ran a marathon in what would have been a British record had she been 50. Sadly she was injured when she was 50 but went on to run the prestigious Comrades Marathon (54 miles, uphill route- Durban to Pietermaritzburg) aged 52. Ros became a keystone of the running club, holding the position of Secretary and then of Chair, the latter when the Club was rewriting its constitution. She also added age grading and computerisation to the monthly handicap system which is still in use today.
Wardens' boss Ros, 2019. Ros did much to develop the wardening scheme.
In addition to her running activities Ros did a little cycling on the side. One of her more notable rides was to accompany, by bike, World Ultrarunning Champion Hilary Walker when she set the record for running from Lhasa to Kathmandu. Getting into triathlon in her 60s she started cycle time trialling and last year, some 11 years older, set personal bests on 10 and 25 miles, beating times she did as a “youngster”.
For her 70th birthday Ros cycled seventy miles. For her 80th birthday Ros went metric and completed an eighty kilometer ride.
Two races this morning. First the not-so-fast crowd.
Bragging rights, not points, at stake. (photo: Debs Byatt)
One or two late starters who had been deaf to Robin's call of "on the board". (photo: Debs Byatt)
Puffed at the finish (photo: Debs Byatt)
The second race contained the contenders
Lots of them, plus those who missed the call for the first race - you know who you are, Mary Gilbert. (photo: Debs Byatt)
(photo: Nichola Sanderson)
Judges doing what judges do best
A big thanks to Mike and Thanos
Tight finish
Alan Luckhurst won the 50m championship race
Deirdre Ward stepped forward to collect a prize for the first woman
Club captain Deirdre was pipped by club vice captain Alan. (Looks like Ian MacEachern had a late night, or was he early with the three cheers?)
Chris Hatcher, first in the first race
No points, but well earnt bragging rights.
Kezia Jukes first lady of the first race
A club championship series over five races was introduced fifty years ago, in 1975. Prior to this the club champion was decided by a one-off 880 yard (800m) race in mid summer.
From the late 1970s Peter Larrad sponsored one of the early races of the championship series. Peter stood down in favour of Ros for the 2020 season.
Peter flew the flag for Serpentine SC long distance swimming for many decades
In 2011 Peter was presented with an award for his 50th swim of Lake Windermere.
A few press snippets from the mid 1970s.
Peter won the Peter Pan cup in 1971 and is a past club champion
(Report compiled by Brian Thomas. Images provided by Brian and the club's archives, unless credited to individuals)