Top 5 Swimrun Tips For Beginners

Your first swimrun can be exciting but also incredibly daunting. Claire Vallance has been there herself, and today is one of the most experienced swimrunners in the world, consistently on the podium with her husband Piers. Claire shares her top five tips for those new to the sport.

1. Don’t stress about kit

Experiment and enjoy working out which kit works for you and the conditions of the race. There are many combinations and no right or wrong answers.  e.g. whether to use paddles, pull-buoy, tow rope.  Then there is the question of size! As a rule of thumb, a pull buoy is recommended to help your legs float with trainers on and to give your legs a rest.  Paddles and tow rope are not essential to start with.  A swimrun wetsuit is a worthy investment if you will be doing a few. They are so much easier to run and swim in but an old wetsuit will ‘suffice’ cutting the arms and legs down to begin with.  

2. Ditch the roads and head for the trails

Try to some of your runs off road or in the woods. Most swimruns include runs that are off road. Practising on technical terrain similar to the race will help confidence and prepare your body.  

3. Remember to hydrate

Remember you are running in a wetsuit! Try to hydrate the day before/morning of the race and include electrolytes. If it is hot day you will need to hydrate more. Races often require a collapsible cup or a soft flask may be useful to drink from during the race.   

4. What to wear on your feet

Most trainers will work for swimrun and the water will squish out of the top when running (they don’t need to be old or have holes drilled into them). Practice swimming with trainers on so you become accustomed to the change in body position and reduced speed.  

5. Enjoy yourself!

Above all, have fun! Enjoy the natural environment and racing with a partner. It is a wonderful sport where data/times/pace/power is irrelevant as distance and conditions are not comparable. Swimrun is about doing the best you both can on the day with nature dictating the conditions.  Swimrun creates friendships, is fun within an awesome community!