‘Utterly ridiculous’ bog snorkelling is a hit again
While many of us took to the beach or sat in pub beer gardens, others spent the bank holiday weekend at a highly competitive sporting event.
The 34th annual World Bog Snorkelling Championship was held at Waen Rhydd bog on the outskirts of the UK’s smallest town, Llanwrtyd Wells, on Sunday.
Hundreds of competitors donned fancy dress, with entrants including a shark, a lobster, a bunch of grapes and a chicken leaping into a water-filled trench to aim for the top in this elite contest.
The brave bog-loving entrants swam two consecutive lengths of the murky water, wearing flippers and a snorkel.
The odd sport has been described by travel guide publisher Lonely Planet as one of the top 50 ‘must do’ events around the world.
MORE:
It sees competitors complete the two lengths without using a single recognisable swimming stroke, relying solely on the power they can generate using their flippers.
Secondary school art teacher Neil Rutter, from Swindon, Wiltshire, retained his world title for a third year running in the bank holiday sun, with temperatures reaching 23 degrees Celsius.
The 34-year-old world record holder completed the course in one minute and 21 seconds, three seconds slower than last year’s effort.
Bob Greenough, more commonly known as Bob From The Bog, has worked for Green Events, the World Bog Snorkelling Championship organisers, since 2007.
He added: “Bog snorkelling is utterly ridiculous and it’s for everyone, all ages, abilities, shapes and sizes. The championships attract serious athletes but also lots of people in fancy dress who are there to make fun of themselves.
“Over 160 participants from around the world took part on a blisteringly hot day.
“The current World Champion and World Record holder Neil Rutter, who achieved a time of 1 minute 18.82 seconds in the 2018 championships - breaking the previous World Record of 1 minute 22.56 seconds set in 2014 by Kirsty Johnson from Lightwater in Surrey, mounted a successful defence of his title but failed to break his own record with a time of 1 minute 21.78 seconds.
“The Ladies Champion was Betsy Creak with a time of 1 minute 42.22 seconds and the Overseas Champion was Ian Maclachlan from South Africa with a time of 1 minute 38.75 seconds.
“In 2019 the bog snorkellers included participants from Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Eire, Italy, the Netherlands, South Africa, Sweden and USA, making this a truly international world championship.”
Camilla Barnard, co-founder and director at Rude Health, which sponsored the event, said: “We hardly ever sponsor anything but if I could imagine up an activity which totally encapsulates the Rude Health energy, it would be this.
“Bog snorkelling is fun, inclusive, batty and competitively uncompetitive. It couldn’t be more in rude health.”
Report by Karen Compton
