Frequently asked questions about UltraSwim 33.3 open water swim events

UltraSwim 33.3 is a timed open water swimming challenge covering the English Channel distance of 33.3km, spread over 4 days and 6 or 7 swims. It takes place in picturesque locations such as Montenegro, Croatia, Greece and Switzerland. It is a point-to-point format, an epic adventure swim race. We hate laps. Swimmers from all over the world join together to form an incredible community of like-minded people, all with one aim, to earn that 33.3 Finisher badge.

Swim Trek and other swim holiday companies have created fantastic and relaxing open water experiences all over the world and act as a great stepping stone towards an UltraSwim 33.3. UltraSwim 33.3 is very different: punchier, tougher, more rewarding perhaps, shorter but intense, with a big group of swimmers from all over the world. It is a race, not a cruise, although you approach it how you want, to win, to finish, or simply to enjoy. A majority of swimmers are there just to finish it. It is a five star approach in terms of hotels and services, unashamedly so, with amazing hotels, post-swim massages on the finish line and video analysis pre-event built in to our ULTRA+ package for example

UltraSwim 33.3 is a timed challenge, a race if you want, and you will swim at the pace you want, not in a managed group like the treks. You will normally be swimming with between 100 and 200 swimmers, rather than 10 or 12. You will push yourself harder, and be pushed harder, by those around you, but they will also support you through the more challenging moments. Yes, you will get to relax, be fulfilled and make great new friends. It is doable over a long weekend: if in Europe, leave on Thursday morning and be back home on Monday night.

It is a premium experience, with 4 or 5 star hotels and options for Relais and Chateaux level rooms, private transfers from the airport, sports massages included, all wrapped in professional support. It is not cheap, but we hope the value will surpass your expectations. We have also built in a package for non participating partners, who are very welcome, keeping them part of the experience without boring them.

Not as fast as you probably think. The event cutoff time, when we may have to ask you to stop a leg, is based on a guideline of never more than 2km per hour, modified downwards according to conditions and the general pace of the majority of swimmers on the day. Experience tells us that by the event you should be able to swim 2.5km in a one hour pool or flat water time trial, and have done at least one 4 to 5km open water swim beforehand in training.

Swimmers not making a particular swim cutoff time will still be able to carry on and complete the event, albeit without an overall ranking, and then return again to earn the coveted 33.3 badge of honour. The cutoff times are not set ahead of time, as we observe the general field, and usually everyone gets to finish, even the ones at the back. It is less likely that someone will need to get out before the end. But it applies regardless of whether you are swimming the CLASSIC 33.3, ULTIMATE 33.3 or the half channel option.

Any competent and determined swimmer can prepare and take on this 33.3 challenge. With the proper training, any determined swimmer can complete an UltraSwim 33.3. The event is designed to be inclusive of swimmers with varying abilities, provided you already swim confidently and continuously front crawl. Our events are not suitable for breaststrokers unless your pace is exceptional.

There are those racing each other for the podium at the front, those racing themselves and their own performance objectives in the middle, and those simply swimming to finish, who are quite often the majority. Every finisher is a winner in our books. You can come in a group of friends, a club, or alone like most of our swimmers, although they usually go home with a big group of new global lifelong friends.

A majority of our swimmers have not taken on something like this before. You will be amazed at what you are capable of, with some reasonable preparation and the energy at the event to carry you across each finish line. For many it is a life-changing experience, for almost everyone they will go home feeling confident and fulfilled - but also with new friends from around the world.

While there are of course super experienced long distance swimmers in the 33.3 community, a majority come to our event having not previously done any big swims, and almost nobody with multi day swim events experience, since there are very few. Some have very little open water experience, and many have never swum more than 3 or 4km in a single swim. And a big majority of them make the full 33.3. With good preparation in the months beforehand, making use of our coaching and support advice, any competent swimmer is capable of taking this challenge on. The collective energy of the 33.3 family of swimmers adds an energy source like no other, and as you build up to the big swim on day 3 you will become stronger in mind and body, more confident, and capable of surpassing what you thought were your swimming limits.

It hits the open water swimming sweet spot of balancing challenge with achievability.

Personal achievement: it is a significant undertaking that proves you can accomplish more than you think with the right determination and training.

Social opportunities: the event facilitates the formation of lifelong friendships and a supportive community of swimmers.

Stunning locations: breathtaking scenery, both above and below the water, with clear waters, beautiful wildlife, and exclusive bays only accessible by water.

The first event was in 2022, and the Epic Adventure Swim Race Series is expanding fast. The pilot event launched in 2022 with 30 swimmers. The first public event took place in Montenegro in October 2023 with 120 swimmers. The series has since expanded to include events on Hvar island in Croatia, Skopelos in Greece, Lake Geneva, and Herceg Novi in Montenegro. The first time a venue is delivered it is often done as a Pioneer Edition, with smaller swimmer numbers by invitation only. More mature editions expand to 150 to 200 swimmers.

Nothing great is easy, declared Captain Matthew Webb, and 150 years later his words still inspire a global community of open water swimmers. This year marks a monumental anniversary: a century and a half since Webb made his historic first swim across the English Channel in 1875. It resonates deeply with our mission of pushing the boundaries of what is possible in open water swimming. We also look ahead to the coming 100 year anniversary of Gertrude Ederle landmark Channel crossing in 1926. UltraSwim 33.3 is one of very few endurance challenges where there are more female entries than men, at 54 per cent in 2025.

In 1875, 150 years before 2025, Captain Matthew Webb created the legend by swimming breaststroke for nearly 22 hours to become the first to cross the waters between England and France. The English Channel challenge is the Everest of open water swimming, but it may not be everyone cup of tea.

Mark Turner, Founder of UltraSwim 33.3, created the event out of a love for open water swimming and a desire to inspire people to push themselves out of their comfort zones. An endurance swimmer himself, the iconic English Channel crossing did not appeal to him: too cold, too dark, and just too much commitment over several years to get a slot and cold water train. UltraSwim 33.3 seemed like a better way to do it. Multi day events are extremely complex to manage, hence so few of them, but the multi day format is a game changer in terms of the emotional return on investment for a competitor.

As long as two of you are new to UltraSwim 33.3, a group of 4 has the 4th swimmer come at half price, a big saving. You must book at the same time, and all must pay the deposit within 72 hours. You can book different packages, but the discount will apply based on the ULTRA price for that event.

If you represent a bigger community group or club, please get in touch, as we can offer further incentives and assistance. If you are a coach you will get an additional 500 euro discount when coming with swimmers, plus specific extra incentives to motivate your clients to come to our events whether you are there or not. Ask for our Coach and Club pack.

Over 4 days you will swim at least 33.3km. The course includes shorter and longer swims, with a 10km plus marathon day usually on the third day, when you are feeling stronger and more confident. The distances vary from venue to venue, but they build up to this third day step by step.

Starts are generally shortly after sunrise, with a boat transfer to the start point on at least 2 of the days. Swims range from 1 to 2 hours up to 4 to 5 hours, followed by a refuel lunch, rest, sightseeing, optional coaching and massage. Evening briefings and additional activities such as swimmer chats are also available. On the final day we aim to finish with a prizegiving at lunchtime, so that those needing to get home on Monday night can leave without missing anything.

The event includes multiple swim distances and formats over 4 days, point-to-point courses, and a variety of open water conditions. Every event is different, with local highlights, varied conditions and challenges, and stunning scenery to absorb.

It is a race in the sense that it is timed, rankings are provided, and there are certainly a few swimmers aiming to podium in their categories. But a majority of swimmers just aim to finish, and are rewarded as winners in their own right.

An UltraSwim 33.3 is a new category of open water event, defined as a multi day timed swim challenge with a total distance of at least 33.3km, the theoretical shortest distance of the famous English Channel crossing. With between 5 and 7 swims, including some untimed sections, over 4 days, it is tough enough to push swimmers out of their comfort zone, but accessible enough for any competent open water swimmer to complete. Expect to be extended physically and mentally by the multi day format, but you will finish strong and confident, and be rewarded with the UltraSwim 33.3 Finisher badge of honour. It includes a 10km marathon swim, a sunset or night swim taster, and both fjord and open water legs. Some days it is one straight swim, others it is split into 2 legs. And the weather has the final say, so expect the unexpected, and plans A, B and C each day, always with the intention of hitting the 33.3km objective. Every finisher is a winner, regardless of how fast they swim.

Support and safety are paramount during our events. In addition to transfer boats, which remain with the swimmers, significant numbers of kayaks and paddleboards paddle alongside the swimmers and wait at key turning points, sometimes marked by buoys. You should usually be able to see a kayak ahead or behind you most of the time. There is also a Race Director RIB and a dedicated medical support boat. Your safety is the paramount consideration throughout the event.

We also issue each swimmer a tracker, to follow progress during the racing and ensure a swimmer is never out of the safety range of the kayaks.

Swim several times per week in a pool, and try to get in a few open water swims. If you have not swum much over 5km, getting in a 2 hour swim before the event will build your confidence.

Once you have entered, you will get access to our Swimmers Bubble, which includes training plans. You can also join our Strava club for other tips and advice. Once entered you will get access to our training support WhatsApp group, where our experts are on hand every day to answer your preparation questions.

You should be able to swim 2.5km in a one hour pool time trial, and have done at least one 4 or 5km open water swim before attending (but not at the time of signing up!). The format includes daily time cutoffs based on 2km per hour - but missing one finish line does not stop you continuing on with all the other swims of course.

We have a number of affiliate coaches available for pre event training discussions and specific training plans. Coaching support is available during the event, with the aim of helping swimmers finish strong and confident.

ULTRA+ package entrants get a free pre event video analysis, where you provide the video, and at some events a one-to-one consultation is available, albeit for a subsidised fee.

We will be supporting you all the way with coaching tips, plans and general advice on how to prepare for a 33.3. Many of our Affiliate coaches come to the event with their existing clients, but also to meet new swimmers.

There are now many Affiliated coaches coming to the event as swimmers or supporting their own clients, and many training programmes catering for marathon swimming. We also provide participants with training plans, a WhatsApp training and support group, and access to some amazing coaches and swimmers to advise you during the build up and at the event itself.

There are no specific requirements other than your own assessment that you are up to a swimming event where you will swim 33.3km over 4 days. Rest, good food and camaraderie are provided.

The only exception is the ULTIMATE 33.3 and 22.2 option in Croatia, where we require a full medical certificate from your doctor. This is a non stop swim of up to 12 hours.

Transfer boats, kayak and SUP paddlers, a Race Director RIB, and a dedicated medical support boat will accompany swimmers. Feed stations with food and liquids will be available for swims longer than 5km. Kayaks always carry emergency supplies of gels and water too. Swimmers are all tracked using GPS trackers and our SwimTelligence 2.0 software to monitor your safety coverage.

Wetsuits are permitted but not required. You can switch to a wetsuit during the event, but your ranking category will depend on whether you start in skins or a wetsuit. About half our swimmers are usually in wetsuits, depending on the event and water temperature.

The elephant in the room, which we are not hiding, is that we are an event that encourages you to travel, usually by plane although some events like Switzerland are great for arrival by train in Europe at least. We are aware of this, but believe in offering these amazing, positive social impact events in a way that leaves an overall positive impact on both the environment and the communities we touch. After that work really hard to minimise our footprint on site, we ban all single-use plastic, we develop better partnerships to eradicate toxic lotions and potions in the water as part of Sport for Nature programme, and at the end of the day we compensate the carbon footprint that we don't manage to remove or reduce with a mangrove project via Sea Trees.

We aim to minimise our carbon and other material impacts, and then support the SeaTrees Foundation efforts in regrowing blue carbon projects such as mangroves. We measure in detail the footprint of all our actions at each event and are net positive in terms of carbon impact. We have a particular dislike of single use plastic, a major threat to marine environments worldwide, so we ban it at the event, we require our suppliers to deliver without plastic packaging, we lobby locally to ban plastic bags, we provide you with an aluminium water bottle, and we ensure there is drinkable water in the hotel taps and dispensers. We will ruthlessly disqualify anyone littering, especially with gel packets.

We are early signatories to the IUCN Sport for Nature framework and are audited on our actions each year. We are working hard to eliminate the toxic elements of sun cream and anti friction products by sourcing better options and making this a rule in future. We encourage the reuse and return of drybags and bottles so that our swimmers do not amass duplicate items at home for no reason. We use recycled materials in all our merchandise, and even our medals are upcycled from old wooden furniture, with zero virgin material used. We are campaigning locally to develop electric boat charging infrastructure, so that we may replace fossil fuel safety boats in future with electric ones, and we maximise the use of kayaks for the safety envelope.

The social pillar of sustainability is just as important to us. The event is inclusive and extremely diverse in its participants, and we bend over backwards to accommodate swimmers with reduced mobility on land. We know we can facilitate the comeback of people who have been through major trauma, and we are honoured to play our role in such stories. We know we have lots more to improve and do, and we work each day to do things better in every part of our organisation and approach.

Environmental impact: protection of natural environments.

Social impact: positive effects on mental health and community support.

Economic impact: maximising the use of local suppliers, integrating sustainable practices in events, and campaigning locally on issues such as banning single use plastic.

You will be provided with a complete Travelbook guide when you enter, or before if you are concerned about how to get there before booking. Arrival at the venue should be by the Thursday at the latest (based on a normal Friday-Monday event, but varies in some venues - either way, arrive by the afternoon of the day before the first official swim), as most events follow the same long weekend format, and you can leave on the Monday after the lunchtime prizegiving if you need to rush off, or relax fulfilled after an epic challenge.

We include 4 nights accommodation in your entry fee package, but you have options for extra nights, upgrades, single occupancy, your partner or family, and special needs. For ULTRA+, and for ULTRA at some venues, we manage your transfers from the local airport, so that you can just focus on swimming and not worry about the logistical details.

Yes. Early breakfasts on race days, and normal hotel breakfast times if you arrive early or stay on extra days. A post-swim refuel lunch is provided on race days. The only thing you will need to arrange yourselves is your evening meals, but we give lots of recommendations.

We aim to cater for all allergies and special requirements as best we can. There are always vegetarian and vegan options where needed. You will be asked about your dietary restrictions when you complete our Swimmer Information Form, and we will do our very best to cater for all cases.

Swimmers can lose between around 0.88 and 1.25 litres per hour. It is important to pre-hydrate and to rehydrate after each swim. UltraSwim 33.3 has an amazing nutrition and hydration specialist partner, Precision Fuel and Hydration. We run webinars with their sports scientist, Chris Harris, who has competed at number 3 Croatia, and they offer a free one-to-one advice session with all our swimmers on request. They provide the event feed stations with energy gels, drinks and hydration.

Target around 100 grams of carbohydrate per hour during long swims. Practising fuelling during training helps you achieve this.

Plan in advance and experiment with fuel formats during training. Use carbohydrate or carbohydrate and electrolyte mix drinks, gels, and aid stations to ensure proper fuelling.

Secure your space with a 500 euro reserve payment, fully refundable for up to 30 days, with no questions asked if something comes up. And right up to 62 days before any event, you can rollover your entry credit to a future event in the same or following calendar year for just a €50 admin fee - this super flexible rollover policy gives you great peace of mind.

We have a very flexible rollover policy, as we know you want to commit early but that life throws a spanner in the works quite often. Cancellation options vary based on timing. Up to 62 days prior, you can roll over your entry to another event in the same or following year without penalty, paying only any extra costs, or take a 90 per cent refund. Our full terms and conditions always supersede the answer posted here, as they are updated more regularly than this guide.

For 30 days after paying your 500 euro to secure your space, you can get a full refund with no questions asked. After that, with just a few exceptions where it is 90 days, you can roll over your entry from one venue to any other in the same or the following year, up to 62 days before, without any loss of credit. Within 60 days, or in some cases 90 days, we cannot recover the hotel part and other fixed costs, so there is a sliding scale of the amount to roll over. There is always an option to cancel fully and get a refund, the amount depending on the point at which you cancel. See our full booking conditions for details.

UltraSwim 33.3 strongly recommends that you take out personal accident insurance to protect yourself against any personal injury you may suffer, and against the unexpected and the accidental. We have created a special insurance policy for this with our partner Besafe. Besafe insurance now covers EU and non EU residents, including medical expenses outside the country of residence of 100,000 euro, worldwide repatriation assistance at actual cost, and search and rescue costs of 10,000 euro, with many more benefits on top for EU residents.

Register on the official website https://forms.monday.com/forms/7d0bb3a308166195cba37dbb56f67f01?r=use1 , and check for fees, deadlines and available spaces. Choose your event and format, reserve your place with a deposit, and you will receive your welcome pack and access to our preparation resources.

Email the support team with any additional questions at sales@ultraswim333.com, or send us a WhatsApp message on +33 6 11 71 42 04. Or ask the Captain Webb chat bot who will be able to answer most of your questions!