It's a bog standard day for snorkelling championships

More than 100 enthusiasts from as far afield as Hong Kong and New Zealand donned fancy dress and flippers to swim two lengths of a murky bog.

Newcomer Kirsty Johnson, 33, from Guildford, Surrey, left organisers open-mouthed as she shaved 10 seconds off the world record for completing the 120-yard challenge. She recorded a time of one minute, 22.5 seconds.

The annual August Bank Holiday World Bog Snorkelling Championships saw hundreds flock to Llanwrtyd Wells. Organiser Bernice Benton said: "Bog snorkelling has put Llanwrtyd and Powys on the world map."

You never know what you can find lurking in a bog. But crocodiles, mime artists and the odd superhero could be seen swimming through a 60-metre stretch of murky water in Mid Wales.

The Waen Rhydd bog, in Llanwrtyd Wells, annually plays host to almost 150 competitors from across the globe who bid to be named World Bog Snorkelling Champion.

The event sees competitors complete two lengths of the bog which has black, peaty water wearing flippers and a snorkel – and in some cases not a lot else.

Bernice Benton, one of the organisers, said the event continued to get bigger as the years pass.

"We had people from Hong Kong, Sweden, New Zealand, America, Australia and Belgium taking part, many of whom come back year after year," she said.

She added: "It really put us on the map to a global level – and who would think our event can do that for a whole country?

"Competitors have to be able to swim, they have to have a good sense of direction because it is absolutely black down there and they also have to have huge lung capacity.

"Some people come down and think it will be easy, but when you step into those cold, black unforgiving Welsh waters it is a different feeling altogether."

Mrs Benton said the event keeps everyone in the town of Llanwrtyd Wells on their toes for the whole year.

She added: "The whole town get behind the events of Green Events which organises it, we also do the World Alternative Games and Mountain Bike Bog Snorkelling as well as the Real Ale Wobble and the annual Man v Horse race.

"It is good to be a bit different and we think it boosts tourism.

"We had an underwater hockey team take part this year and they loved it.

"Crowds line the bog and everyone is there for a good time, we had hundreds of visitors and media from across the world.

"The only year it was bigger than this would be in 2012 when it coincided with the London Olympics and sports fans from all over the world were in Britain.

"But to have the world record smashed like this, means it probably tops the lot."

Mrs Benton said efforts would now be made to set up a match between this year's winner and new record holder Kirsty Johnson and the previous holder, last year's winner Dineka Maguire, to see who the true champion is.

"To get those two to go head-to-head would be fantastic for the sport," she added.

Other bog snorkelling events take place, particularly in Wales but also in Australia, Ireland and Sweden.

Associated events include mountain bike bog snorkelling, where competitors must ride through boggy terrain on specially-prepared mountain bikes.