The Midmar Mile

Posted by Ash on Mon February 12, 2018 in Local Events - PMB :)*.

Whether for top honours or the personal satisfaction of simply doing it, the gruelling Midmar Mile swim is a sporting challenge that tens of thousands simply can’t resist.

Whether for top honours or the personal satisfaction of simply doing it, the gruelling Midmar Mile swim is a sporting challenge that tens of thousands simply can’t resist.

How it all began: In 1973, three men – prevented by government-imposed fuel restrictions from travelling to East London to participate in the Buffalo Mile – swam the first Midmar Mile. Today, it’s the biggest open-water swim in the world.

This past weekend, around 14 500 swimmers tackled the 1 600m-long Midmar. People of all ages participated in one of South Africa’s most famous and prestigious sporting events.

Some are doing it for top honours, some for charity, but most take on this gruelling swim simply for the satisfaction of knowing that they have faced it and triumphed. As some say, it is the Comrades Marathon of swimming – and it’s not about the time one achieves, it’s about doing it.

Unlike many other sporting events, the Midmar is also a decidedly family affair, with grandparents, parents and children participating together, and their families turning out in support of them.

The two-day Midmar Mile takes place at the Midmar Dam outside Howick, in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands. It’s a picturesque part of the world, with rolling green hills and balmy weather.

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