After 157 days at sea and 1,792 miles of swimming, 33-year old Ross Edgley today became the first person to swim around the UK coast — breaking several world records into the bargain — and 220 were there to share the moment with him.
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Finishing on 4th November, the swim has had some highs and some lows that really captured the world’s imagination – most of us will by now be familiar with the horrors of salt tongue, jellyfish attacks and zombie feet – as well as amazing records broken, the sealife that has swum with him, the famous ‘banana count’ and (perhaps most memorably) Edgley’s irrepressible enthusiasm for an endurance event many believed was impossible.
True to form, the finish was nothing short of spectacular and today 220 Triathlon were lucky enough to join 300 open-water swimmers who took to the water to meet Ross 750m from the shore in Margate and bring him home as part of a flotilla of swimmers.
The swimmers (most in wetsuits, but some in skins in the 11 degree water!) met Ross alongside his boat and crew and with an appearance from the Red Bull Matadors display team, an emotional group made their way to the finish on the beach in Margate, where Ross swam the final few metres ahead of everyone else to individually finish his world-record swim alone and make his way on to dry land for the first time in 157 days. There, hundreds of supporters met him including Ironman triathlete Lucy Charles and SAS: Who Dares Wins’ Ant Middleton, both of who advised him during his training.
Ross Edgley exits the final swim of his world record swim around the UK coast. Image: 220/Gavin Parish
Once out of the water we managed to grab a hug and 10 minutes with Ross to find out how he’s feeling at the end of his epic journey:
220: Why did you decide to finish with 300 other swimmers?
It was just nuts, wasn’t it? This is why the open-water swimming and triathlon community are so special – and maybe it’s something about Britain as well – but if you said to anyone else in any other sport “it’s Sunday morning, there’s this guy swimming in to shore, you’ve never met him before, but do you want to get up and swim with him? It’s going to be really cold…?” they’d probably say no! But in this sport everyone was like: “Sure!”
We had guys in skins out there, we had some amazing Channel swimmers with us and we had the Royal Marines guiding everyone in… It’s hard to explain how I felt in that moment but you were there, you saw it! I had to remove my goggles at one moment, I got so choked up.
That was the best way for the swim to finish as well. Having everyone there, that massive group hug in Margate when we were all clambering all over each other… I couldn’t have asked for anything else. It was the best way to end and it was just amazing.
220 Editor Helen Webster joined Ross as part a group of 300 swimmers for the final swim into Margate. Image: 220/Gavin Parish
220: Has that sense of community been important in this challenge?
It was never my moment and it was never an individual sport. From the outset this was a team effort. For example with the salt tongue, my tongue was literally falling apart and the community of open-water swimmers and triathletes helped with advice and help! It was really nice getting that support – they’d say “oh wetsuit chafing, here’s what I’d do”, or “your tongue is falling apart? Here’s a homemade remedy”.
220: How are you feeling now you’ve completed the swim and are back on dry land?
I like to talk and it’s nice to see people! I’ve had the company of minke whales and dolphins and they don’t talk much! I met one lady today who was going to swim the channel but she’s been diagnosed with cancer, so is going to get treatment and try again next year – hearing stories like that is just amazing.
When you do something like this it brings people together, just the crazy nature of it. I don’t know why! It just brings the very best people together. There’s one person that came all the way from America! We asked him if he had any family in Margate, but he was like: “nope. I’m just here for the swim!” He came from America and is flying home tonight, that’s just amazing. I had to be pulled away from him, I would still be there with him and with everyone else taking selfies!
220: What else helped you get through the swim?
The team too, for sure. Me and Matt got quite choked up last night. The sense of humour that you develop to try and get through something like this is quite something. Last night we watched the sun set and we were talking about how he’d bought 5kg of Vaseline with him for the swim… So much lube… and I’d said we were never going to need it all, but we got through 4kg! That’s the statistic from the swim that I’m most proud of!
Towards the end he’s putting Vaseline on my neck and helping me into my wetsuit and I just whispered “I’ve never really been chafing, I just like these moments together…” and he’s just rolling around in stitches laughing. There was this constant weird sense of humour, that you will only get when you do things like this. Open-water swimmers will understand, it just bonds you in strange ways!
Ross with Ironman pro Lucy Charles. Full interview with Lucy to follow online later this week! Image: 220/Gavin Parish
220: Now you’re on dry land, what are you most looking forward to?
I just want to be warm! The Great British Swim strips you back to your most basic human needs. I haven’t been warm in 157 days so now I just want to be toasty. I wouldn’t mind sweating, I mean, I haven’t sweated in 157 days! People ask if there’s anything else and I’m like “no, just warmth!” I’ve got socks on now and that feels nice! It sounds cheesy, but I just want family and friends – and to be warm. Barbeques too, maybe. I missed out on a summer of barbeques…
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To read the full interview with Ross Edgley where he opens up more about finishing the Great British Swim, how his body has been affected and what his next challenge will be, check out issue 359 of 220 Triathlon, on sale 29th November 2018.
Lucy Charles talks Ross Edgley, Kona 2018 and the magic powers of chocolate brownies…
Ross Edgley completed the Great British Swim on Sunday 4th November, conquering a world record-breaking challenge that saw him swimming 1,792 miles over 157 days. There to meet him at the finish line was Ironman Hawaii 2018 silver medallist Lucy Charles, who had given Ross some swim tips during his epic adventure! We took the chance to catch up with Lucy, as well as to collect a very special 220 Triathlon competition prize. Read on to find out more…
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220 Triathlon: You gave Ross some tips during his challenge – what were they?
He’s just amazing isn’t he! I used to swim the 10km and that felt like a long way – two hours of swimming – but he’s been swimming 12 hours a day! I don’t know how you prepare for that. I mean physically it’s tough, but I can’t even comprehend the mental side.
I tried to give him some tips, but I’m no mega-ultra swimmer! I always say anything to do with swimming is about staying relaxed. It’s about keeping your mind relaxed, about letting it wander and think about stupid things – like what you’re going to eat when you get out! He’s certainly been eating a lot on that swim as well, which is good!
220 Triathlon: Was this swim going to be won or lost based on controlling the mind?
Yes. If it had been me I would just try not to think about how far was left and just to be in the moment, to hopefully think about other things. It’s about keeping your stroke rate nice and relaxed and like I said, I think I would just be food motivated! I’d be thinking ‘when I get out I can eat that massive brownie’!
I actually went to the Red Bull centre and I knew some of the guys were heading from there to see Ross, so I packed up some homemade brownies for them to take up to him to help him out a bit! A few more calories! I don’t know how they managed to fit all the food he needed on the boat, let alone how he ate it. He was eating a lot of bananas and I heard at one point he requested Big Macs – you’re probably craving everything during a swim like that!
Lucy chats to Ross following his epic swim challenge. Image: 220/Gavin Parish
220 Triathlon: What technique advice did you give Ross?
The best benefit you can get as a long-distance swimmer is from the wetsuit, so it’s about making use of the wetsuit and the kit to help you, to get that extra buoyancy. I don’t actually kick my legs now when I swim, it’s about just letting your legs drag and trusting the wetsuit to give you that buoyancy. You burn more calories if you kick too much, so just keep them relaxed.
Ross had some shoulder issues as well, so it’s about managing that. I heard he had a good physio who helped him, but god knows what pain he must have been going through. I had shoulder injuries when I was swimming more distance, but I never did that kind of mileage in a day! I think Ross actually benefited from going without sleeves on his wetsuit at one point as that would have given him that mobility back in his shoulders.
I just can’t imagine what he must have endured and what muscle strains he must have picked up though! Then there was the wetsuit rubbing, the jellyfish stinging, god knows what else!
220 Triathlon: As a fellow open-water swimmer, were you surprised by the affects on his body?
Oh god yes! Things like the salt on his tongue for example… I wouldn’t even have thought of that and it happened really early on! Then there was the chafing on his neck and he was wearing wetsuits day in day out aggravating it. I mean, you can get quite a bad chafing in a triathlon even doing a short swim but when you’ve got that every day… He’s got the nickname rhino neck and with good reason!
I think he’s immune to jellyfish stings now as well. I’m not actually a big fan of the sea believe it or not, my thing is to get in and get out as quick as I can so I don’t see the things swimming about! He’s far braver than me!
220 Triathlon: How are you feeling after your amazing result at Kona last month?
I couldn’t have been happier really! If someone had said to me ‘you’re going to do an 08:36’ I’d think I’d have won by 10 minutes – so to do an 08:36 and still come second… I couldn’t have done anything more!
This year we were so lucky with the conditions, too [Lucy set a new women’s swim record]. Next year we might have crazy winds and god knows what in the sea, so that definitely helped. I think it will be difficult to beat the swim time again. The run might be possible though, that’s the part of the race where the conditions don’t affect things too much. I think if I’m going to improve it will be on the run section.
I feel like I’m still quite young in this sport and there are ways we can still improve so hopefully next year we can go one better! I haven’t been in the sport that long, but even in that time the standard of the women’s racing has improved so much, it’s great to see.
The bike was a big change this year [Lucy rode the new Specialized Shiv] and I think it definitely benefited my race, because you can carry so much nutrition on the rear of the bike now. On the latter part of the race I’d saved that so I didn’t have to use aid stations which helped.
I’m with Roka now, too. Last year I tested swim skins by a few brands as I didn’t have a sponsor and the Roka was the one I really liked, so having that definitely helped as well!
220 Triathlon: Where can we see you racing next?
I’m having a bit of downtime now! I’m getting married! But I think Ironman South Africa will be my next race in around April time. So I’m looking forward to that one!
Read our swim finish interview with Ross Edgley by following the link here.
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Lucy Charles presents 220 with the signed swim skin one lucky reader will win! See link below… Image: 220/Gavin Parish
Ross Edgley completed the Great British Swim on Sunday 4th November, conquering a world record-breaking challenge that saw him swimming 1,792 miles over 157 days. There to meet him at the finish line was Ironman Hawaii 2018 silver medallist Lucy Charles, who had given Ross some swim tips during his epic adventure! We took the chance to catch up with Lucy, as well as to collect a very special 220 Triathlon competition prize. Read on to find out more…
Advertisement
220 Triathlon: You gave Ross some tips during his challenge – what were they?
He’s just amazing isn’t he! I used to swim the 10km and that felt like a long way – two hours of swimming – but he’s been swimming 12 hours a day! I don’t know how you prepare for that. I mean physically it’s tough, but I can’t even comprehend the mental side.
I tried to give him some tips, but I’m no mega-ultra swimmer! I always say anything to do with swimming is about staying relaxed. It’s about keeping your mind relaxed, about letting it wander and think about stupid things – like what you’re going to eat when you get out! He’s certainly been eating a lot on that swim as well, which is good!
220 Triathlon: Was this swim going to be won or lost based on controlling the mind?
Yes. If it had been me I would just try not to think about how far was left and just to be in the moment, to hopefully think about other things. It’s about keeping your stroke rate nice and relaxed and like I said, I think I would just be food motivated! I’d be thinking ‘when I get out I can eat that massive brownie’!
I actually went to the Red Bull centre and I knew some of the guys were heading from there to see Ross, so I packed up some homemade brownies for them to take up to him to help him out a bit! A few more calories! I don’t know how they managed to fit all the food he needed on the boat, let alone how he ate it. He was eating a lot of bananas and I heard at one point he requested Big Macs – you’re probably craving everything during a swim like that!
Lucy chats to Ross following his epic swim challenge. Image: 220/Gavin Parish
220 Triathlon: What technique advice did you give Ross?
The best benefit you can get as a long-distance swimmer is from the wetsuit, so it’s about making use of the wetsuit and the kit to help you, to get that extra buoyancy. I don’t actually kick my legs now when I swim, it’s about just letting your legs drag and trusting the wetsuit to give you that buoyancy. You burn more calories if you kick too much, so just keep them relaxed.
Ross had some shoulder issues as well, so it’s about managing that. I heard he had a good physio who helped him, but god knows what pain he must have been going through. I had shoulder injuries when I was swimming more distance, but I never did that kind of mileage in a day! I think Ross actually benefited from going without sleeves on his wetsuit at one point as that would have given him that mobility back in his shoulders.
I just can’t imagine what he must have endured and what muscle strains he must have picked up though! Then there was the wetsuit rubbing, the jellyfish stinging, god knows what else!
220 Triathlon: As a fellow open-water swimmer, were you surprised by the affects on his body?
Oh god yes! Things like the salt on his tongue for example… I wouldn’t even have thought of that and it happened really early on! Then there was the chafing on his neck and he was wearing wetsuits day in day out aggravating it. I mean, you can get quite a bad chafing in a triathlon even doing a short swim but when you’ve got that every day… He’s got the nickname rhino neck and with good reason!
I think he’s immune to jellyfish stings now as well. I’m not actually a big fan of the sea believe it or not, my thing is to get in and get out as quick as I can so I don’t see the things swimming about! He’s far braver than me!
220 Triathlon: How are you feeling after your amazing result at Kona last month?
I couldn’t have been happier really! If someone had said to me ‘you’re going to do an 08:36’ I’d think I’d have won by 10 minutes – so to do an 08:36 and still come second… I couldn’t have done anything more!
This year we were so lucky with the conditions, too [Lucy set a new women’s swim record]. Next year we might have crazy winds and god knows what in the sea, so that definitely helped. I think it will be difficult to beat the swim time again. The run might be possible though, that’s the part of the race where the conditions don’t affect things too much. I think if I’m going to improve it will be on the run section.
I feel like I’m still quite young in this sport and there are ways we can still improve so hopefully next year we can go one better! I haven’t been in the sport that long, but even in that time the standard of the women’s racing has improved so much, it’s great to see.
The bike was a big change this year [Lucy rode the new Specialized Shiv] and I think it definitely benefited my race, because you can carry so much nutrition on the rear of the bike now. On the latter part of the race I’d saved that so I didn’t have to use aid stations which helped.
I’m with Roka now, too. Last year I tested swim skins by a few brands as I didn’t have a sponsor and the Roka was the one I really liked, so having that definitely helped as well!
220 Triathlon: Where can we see you racing next?
I’m having a bit of downtime now! I’m getting married! But I think Ironman South Africa will be my next race in around April time. So I’m looking forward to that one!
Read our swim finish interview with Ross Edgley by following the link here.
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Lucy Charles presents 220 with the signed swim skin one lucky reader will win! See link below… Image: 220/Gavin Parish
Fresh from his 1782-mile swim around the UK, the adventurer Ross Edgley is the first to sign-up for the open-water swimming and climbing challenge that is the Neptune Steps.
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Ross Edgley’s 6 training tips for heavyweight triathletes
Held in March this adventurous race combines a 420 metre sprint swim in icy-cold water with eight canal gates to clamber over (a total climb of 18 metres). Each canal gate features a different obstacle to climb up – including cargo net, ropes, wood ladder, rope ladders and a climbing wall.
Ross, who lugged a tree trunk around the Caribbean for a 100km swim last November and rope-climbed the equivalent height of Mount Everest in just 24 hours back in 2016, is excited to return to Maryhill Locks for the second year in a row.
He said: “The Great British Swim was 1,782 miles of swimming, completing 2.3million strokes across 157 days at sea, through dolphins, whales and stunning sunsets. But without doubt the best mile I ever swam was at the very end when 400 swimmers braved the cold, British, winter waters and swam the final mile with me. The atmosphere in the water was indescribable. This is why I love adventure swimming and the only other event I’ve experienced that comes close is Red Bull Neptune Steps.”
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Red Bull Neptune Steps will take place on 23rd March 2019 at Maryhill Locks in Glasgow. The race is open to men and women aged 16+ and entrants can sign-up from Tuesday 20th November at redbull.co.uk/neptunesteps
Fresh from his 1782-mile swim around the UK, the adventurer Ross Edgley is the first to sign-up for the open-water swimming and climbing challenge that is the Neptune Steps.
Advertisement
Ross Edgley’s 6 training tips for heavyweight triathletes
Held in March this adventurous race combines a 420 metre sprint swim in icy-cold water with eight canal gates to clamber over (a total climb of 18 metres). Each canal gate features a different obstacle to climb up – including cargo net, ropes, wood ladder, rope ladders and a climbing wall.
Ross, who lugged a tree trunk around the Caribbean for a 100km swim last November and rope-climbed the equivalent height of Mount Everest in just 24 hours back in 2016, is excited to return to Maryhill Locks for the second year in a row.
He said: “The Great British Swim was 1,782 miles of swimming, completing 2.3million strokes across 157 days at sea, through dolphins, whales and stunning sunsets. But without doubt the best mile I ever swam was at the very end when 400 swimmers braved the cold, British, winter waters and swam the final mile with me. The atmosphere in the water was indescribable. This is why I love adventure swimming and the only other event I’ve experienced that comes close is Red Bull Neptune Steps.”
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Red Bull Neptune Steps will take place on 23rd March 2019 at Maryhill Locks in Glasgow. The race is open to men and women aged 16+ and entrants can sign-up from Tuesday 20th November at redbull.co.uk/neptunesteps
Inov8 have a staggering 70% off some trail shoes, including the Trailtalon 250 for just £33.00, down from £110.00.
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Fancy more cushioning on the trails? Runners Need have the Hoka One One Challenger ATR 4 (men’s and women’s) for £55.00, usually £110
Also at Runners Need, we like the Inov8 Trailroc 285, which is a bargain at £84.00, down from £140.
You’ll find more trail shoes on sale at Cotswold Outdoor, who are offering 20% off everything for Black Friday (discount applied at checkout). We like the Salomon Speedcross 4 which is usually £110.
Blacks have plenty of run shoe deals online from brands including Adidas, Altra, Asics and Brooks. The Brooks Transcend is half price at £75.00, down from £150.00.
Talking of Brooks, they have some holiday offers online on their direct website too at the moment, including the men’s and women’s Glycerin 15 running shoe down to £94.50 from £135.
Also at Blacks, selected lines have an extra 20% off for Black Friday. Use code BF20 at checkout to see if your items are further reduced.
In road shoes, Runners Need have the Nike Air Zoom Structure 21 for £84.00, down from £105.00 and the women’s version is just £79.00
Adidas are offering a 30% discount online – just shop here and add the code BF18 when you check out.
Stylish run brand On Running are offering free backpack with orders over a certain value when you shop online here. Just add code ‘PACKFRIDAY’ at checkout.
Get an extra 30% off reduced styles at Nike by using code ‘CLEAR30’ when you checkout.
Minimalism more your thing? Then head to Vivobarefoot where you’ll find 25% off selected styles, including the latest incarnation of the official ÖtillÖ swimrun boot, down from £145 to £108.
Winter run training shoes: 10 of the best reviewed
Women’s triathlon race day run shoes: 7 of the best reviewed
Triathlon run shoes: 10 of the best for racing the run leg
You’ll find more trail shoes on sale at Cotswold Outdoor, who are offering 20% off everything for Black Friday (discount applied at checkout). We like the Salomon Speedcross 4 which is usually £110.
Blacks have plenty of run shoe deals online from brands including Adidas, Altra, Asics and Brooks. The Brooks Transcend is half price at £75.00, down from £150.00.
Talking of Brooks, they have some holiday offers online on their direct website too at the moment, including the men’s and women’s Glycerin 15 running shoe down to £94.50 from £135.
Also at Blacks, selected lines have an extra 20% off for Black Friday. Use code BF20 at checkout to see if your items are further reduced.
In road shoes, Runners Need have the Nike Air Zoom Structure 21 for £84.00, down from £105.00 and the women’s version is just £79.00
Adidas are offering a 30% discount online – just shop here and add the code BF18 when you check out.
Stylish run brand On Running are offering free backpack with orders over a certain value when you shop online here. Just add code ‘PACKFRIDAY’ at checkout.
Get an extra 30% off reduced styles at Nike by using code ‘CLEAR30’ when you checkout.
Minimalism more your thing? Then head to Vivobarefoot where you’ll find 25% off selected styles, including the latest incarnation of the official ÖtillÖ swimrun boot, down from £145 to £108.
Winter run training shoes: 10 of the best reviewed
Women’s triathlon race day run shoes: 7 of the best reviewed
Triathlon run shoes: 10 of the best for racing the run leg
The double Olympic swimming gold medallist, Becky Adlington, has been named as Official Ambassador for the Accenture World Triathlon Mixed Relay Nottingham and will take on the event when it returns to the city in 2019.
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The Nottinghamshire-born swimming star will be donning not only her goggles, but her bike and trainers too, as she pledges to take on her very first triathlon on Nottingham’s Victoria Embankment on Saturday 15 June 2019.
British Triathlon is giving the opportunity for 50 aspiring participants to be part of Becky’s Wave; a unique chance to join the Olympic hero on the start line of the sprint-distance triathlon. The 50 will also have the chance to meet and greet Becky ahead of the event to share their final race tips before setting off.
Adlington was part of a relay team at the Accenture World Triathlon Mixed Relay Nottingham earlier this year. Swimming 750m, she then handed over to her teammates to complete the 18km bike ride and 4.5km run around the compact course. This year, she intends to complete the same challenge solo.
Adlington said: “I got my taste for triathlon earlier this year when I teamed up and took on the sprint distance relay, but now I’m ready for the full swim, bike, run experience. I’m really excited to get going with my training and seeing who will join me on the start line next June to be part of my wave!”
To join Becky on 15 June 2019 select Becky Adlington’s Wave when entering the sprint-distance triathlon event. Entries are now open to all at nottingham.triathlon.org/becky
Also in Nottingham will be the world’s best short-course elite athletes, who will be pushing themselves to the limit to be crowned Mixed Relay Champions, with crucial Tokyo 2020 qualification points at stake.
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Grandstand tickets, offering you a premium seat to witness everything from start to finish, are now on sale. Tickets are limited and are all priced under £19 at www.gigantic.com/accenture-world-triathlon-mixed-relay-nottingham-tickets