Wales’ 41-year bog snorkelling tradition: Why competitors race 120 yards through a mud-filled peat bog

A small village in Wales hosts an unusual sporting event where competitors swim through a trench filled with dirty water. The World Bog Snorkelling Championships take place in a peat bog, where organisers have dug a 60-yard trench for the race. Competitors must swim two lengths, covering 120 yards or about 110 metres, while breathing through a snorkel. According to the BBC World Service, flippers are allowed, but front crawl and breaststroke are not. Instead, participants must keep their arms straight in front of them or use a dog paddle. The event began as a way to raise money for charity after an idea was suggested during a night at a pub.How competitors race through the 60-yard bog snorkelling courseThe World Bog Snorkelling Championships take place in a peat bog where organisers create a 60-yard trench that fills with dirty water. Competitors must swim two lengths of the trench, covering 120 yards in total, or about 110 metres. They have to breathe through a snorkel throughout the race and can wear flippers on their feet. However, ordinary swimming strokes are not allowed. Competitors cannot use the front crawl or breaststroke. Instead, they must keep their arms straight in front of them or use a dog paddle. The race brings together the conditions of a peat bog and the rules of swimming to create an unusual sporting challenge.The pub conversation that gave rise to bog snorkellingThe idea behind bog snorkelling began with a conversation in a pub. According to organiser and championship founder Gordon Green, the group was looking for a way to raise money for charity when someone mentioned that they had a bog instead of a garden. Another person suggested swimming in it, and that simple suggestion led to the creation of bog snorkelling. Green recalled that the idea came about years earlier, before the BBC report in 2007, meaning the event had already been running for many years by then. The money raised through entry and admission fees was used to support a charity.A strange local contest grew into a long-running world championshipThe championship also includes a mountain bike bog snorkelling event. For this race, organisers use a deeper trench and a specially prepared bicycle. The bike is made heavier by filling its frame with lead and replacing the air in its tyres with water. The rider also wears a lead belt around the waist and carries lead in a rucksack. This provides the buoyancy needed to cycle underwater while breathing through a snorkel. Gordon Green compares the experience to cycling in treacle because of how difficult it is to move through the water. He also says the mountain bike event has become very popular alongside the swimming competition.The unusual competition has grown from a local event into a recognised championship that attracts competitors and spectators. Guinness World Records lists it as the longest-running bog snorkelling championship, with the event dating back to 1985. The championships were suspended in 2020 and 2021 because of the pandemic before returning. Competitors race through the muddy course using snorkels and flippers, while the event continues to draw attention for its distinctive approach to sport.Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.