#openseaswimming – 300 swimmers have entered Sandycove Island Challenge 2012 to be held in Kinsale, Co. Cork on Saturday September 15th at 4pm.
Now it its 16th year, the 1,800 metre race takes swimmers around the famous Sandycove Island. The Island Challenge is one of the biggest open water swims in the country. The popular format sees swimmers in togs and wetsuits mixing in a series of staggered starts with medals awarded based on swim times in these two categories plus 5 year age groups and a special "best master swimmer" award based on closest time to the world record in their age group. The record swim time is 19 minutes and 40 seconds, which was set 6 years ago.
Swimmers from Ireland, England, Scotland, USA and Israel will compete in this year's event.
Sandycove Island in Kinsale is the leading location in Ireland and one of the world's
top five locations for swimmers training for marathon open water swims. Many Sandycove swimmers have successfully completed solo English Channel swims, as well as the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim, the Catalina Channel in California, Lake Zurich in Switzerland, and many others.
'The Edge Sports' Sandycove Island Challenge 2012 is the last mass participation swim on the Irish 2012 open water swim calendar. Prior to the swim and afterwards at a social function in Kinsale, swimmers will discuss their 2012 accomplishments and plan goals for 2013 and beyond. Race organising committee chairman Ciaran O'Connor reflects on the importance of the event: "Since 2005 our local area has produced more than 20 solo English Channel swimmers. For each of them – The Sandycove Island Challenge has been an integral part of their training and journey. A few years from now we'll look back and hopefully identify 20 more channel swimmers who were inspired during this year's race."
Cork Masters Swimming Club and Cork Lions Club host the event and the proceeds benefits local charities. We are very grateful to our sponsor, The Edge Sports, a local specialist sports shop based in Cork, who have supported the swim for the past 3 years.
