GRONIGEN SWIM CHALLENGE
The Groningen Swim Challenge is an open water swimming relay race founded to raise money for cancer research in the Netherlands.
I joined a team for the day in order to capture their marathon 35km swim from the sleepy fishing village of Zoutkamp to Groningen.
The race started at 5:30am to give all teams the time the best possible chance of finishing which meant that the first athletes had to swim in the dark. From there each team, supported by a boat and their teammates would swim in relay, changing each kilometre.
With no limits on how many members could be in a team they varied in size but regardless of how many swimmers each consisted of, it required months of dedicated preparation to face long stretches in the choppy and chilly waters.
Eventually in the late afternoon the teams made it into the city, finally able to rest and share a beer with those that came to support them and their good cause.
