Dear fellow swimmers
Why do you do events?
Thanks again to everyone who responded to our Trends survey recently. We’re crunching the data and will share more insights over the next few weeks and months.
But as we’re publishing our Events Guide with our April issue (sign up now to get your copy), we wanted to
share what you told us about your attitudes to events.
Generally speaking, men say they are more likely to do mass participation swimming events than women (68% vs 55%). With long distance swims of 10km or more, 32% of men say they do these and 16% of women. But note that 74% of survey respondents were women, so even though male swimmers are more likely
to do events, you often find there are more women doing them overall.
The top reason (46% of respondents) for taking part in events is: “I like to push myself physically and see what I can do.” This was closely followed by: “I enjoy the atmosphere and doing something with other people” and “I like the opportunity to swim somewhere different
knowing it’s safe” – both at 45%. (Percentages add to more than 100 as the survey allowed multiple responses).
Given that events are often described as races, it’s perhaps surprising that only 11% of you said that you like to race and enjoy the thrill of competition.
I know events aren’t for everyone, but I recommend them. Yes, they can be expensive, but they create lasting memories. I’ve had some of my most enjoyable swims at events. I’ve also endured my most difficult and painful ones – but this, bizarrely, makes them better in hindsight.
If
you’re wavering, maybe it’s time to commit.
