Bog snorkelling is a sporting event where competitors aim to complete two consecutive lengths of a water-filled trench cut through a

peat bog A bog or bogland is a wetland that accumulates peat as a deposit of dead plant materials often mosses, typically sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main types of wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, mosses, quagmire, and muskeg; a ...

in the shortest time possible, wearing traditional snorkel,

diving mask Diving most often refers to: * Diving (sport), the sport of jumping into deep water * Underwater diving, human activity underwater for recreational or occupational purposes Diving or Dive may also refer to: Sports * Dive (American football), a ...

and flippers. They complete the course without

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...

, relying on flipper power alone. The current world record was set by Neil Rutter in 2018, with a time of 1 min 18.81 seconds. The women's world record stands at 1 minute 22.56 seconds by Kirsty Johnson in 2014. Both were set at the Waen Rhydd bog,

Llanwrtyd Wells Llanwrtyd Wells ( cy, Llanwrtyd "church of St Gwrtud") is a market town and community in Powys, Wales, in the historic county of Brecknockshire (Breconshire) on the Afon Irfon. The town is on the A483 between Llandovery and Builth Wells and is ...

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

Rules

*A water-filled trench in length must be cut through a

by the organisers. *Competitors must wear snorkels, mask and flippers. *A

wetsuit A wetsuit is a garment worn to provide thermal protection while wet. It is usually made of foamed neoprene, and is worn by surfing, surfers, Underwater diving, divers, windsurfers, canoeists, and others engaged in water sports and other activit ...

is not compulsory, but is often worn. *Bog snorkelling competitors must traverse two consecutive lengths totalling in the shortest time possible. *The course must be completed without using conventional

strokes, relying on flipper power alone.

World Record history

World Bog Snorkelling Championship

The World Bog Snorkelling Championship, first held in 1985, takes place every August

Bank Holiday A bank holiday is a national public holiday in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and the Crown Dependencies. The term refers to all public holidays in the United Kingdom, be they set out in statute, declared by royal proclamation or held ...

in the dense Waen Rhydd peat bog, near

mid Wales Mid Wales ( cy, Canolbarth Cymru or simply ''Y Canolbarth'', meaning "the midlands") or Central Wales refers to a region of Wales, encompassing its midlands, in-between North Wales and South Wales. The Mid Wales Regional Committee of the Senedd ...

. Competitors travel from as far afield as Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, England, Finland, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, Poland, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Wales and the US. Powys UK location map

Other bog snorkelling events take place, particularly in Wales, but also in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

, and

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

. These include the Bog Snorkelling

Triathlon A triathlon is an endurance multisport race consisting of Swimming (sport), swimming, Cycle sport, cycling, and running over various distances. Triathletes compete for fastest overall completion time, racing each segment sequentially with the t ...

, which consists of a 120 yard (110 metre) snorkel, a 19 mile (31 kilometre) bike ride and a 7 mile (12 km) run. Proceeds from the World Championship go to a local charity each year. Past recipients include the

Cystic Fibrosis Trust The Cystic Fibrosis Trust (stylised as Cystic Fibros''is''), is a UK-based national charity founded in 1964, dealing with all aspects of cystic fibrosis (CF). It funds research to treat and cure CF and aims to ensure appropriate clinical care and ...

(2005) and the Motor Neurone Association (2006). The 2006 charity was chosen in memory of the Green Events treasurer, Ron Skilton, who died in December 2005.

Results

Bog snorkelling in popular culture

*2019 - Royal Mail issue a collectable stamps edition of ''UK Weird and Wonderful Customs'' which includes ''Bog snorkelling'' at

, '' World Gurning Championship'' at Egremont, ''

Up Helly Aa Up Helly Aa ( ; literally "Up Holy .html" ;"title="ay/nowiki>">ay/nowiki> All") is a type of fire festival held annually from January to March in various communities in Shetland, Scotland, to mark the end of the Yule season. Each festival inv ...

'' in

Lerwick Lerwick (; non, Leirvik; nrn, Larvik) is the main town and port of the Shetland archipelago, Scotland. Shetland's only burgh, Lerwick had a population of about 7,000 residents in 2010. Centred off the north coast of the Scottish mainland ...

, ''

Burning the Clocks Burning the Clocks is a winter solstice festival that takes place each year in Brighton, England, UK. It has taken place since 1994 as a response to Christmas commercialisation. The event Founded in 1993, the celebration is based on a procession ...

'' in

Brighton Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...

, ''

'Obby 'Oss festival The Obby 'Oss festival is a folk custom that takes place each 1st of may in Padstow, a coastal town in North Cornwall. It involves two separate processions making their way around the town, each containing an eponymous hobby horse known as the ...

'' in

Padstow Padstow (; kw, Lannwedhenek) is a town, civil parishes in England, civil parish and fishing port on the north coast of Cornwall, England. The town is situated on the west bank of the River Camel estuary approximately northwest of Wadebridge, ...

, '' Samhain Celtic festival (Halloween)'' at

Derry Derry, officially Londonderry (), is the second-largest city in Northern Ireland and the fifth-largest city on the island of Ireland. The name ''Derry'' is an anglicisation of the Old Irish name (modern Irish: ) meaning 'oak grove'. The ...

, '' Horn Dance'' at

Abbots Bromley Abbots Bromley is a village and civil parish in the East Staffordshire district of Staffordshire and lies approximately east of Stafford, England. According to the University of Nottingham English Place-names project, the settlement name Abbots ...

and '' Cheese-Rolling'' at Cooper's Hill.

References

External links

{{Commons category, Bog snorkelling
Mountain Bike Bog Snorkelling

Bog snorkelling images
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