Seahorse Swim winners Danni Pryor and Guy Giles enjoyed more accolades in the inaugural 2.25-mile Nokia Thames Swim from Hampton Court Palace to Kingston Bridge.
Guy Giles (45.11) was third home behind Michael Adams (42m 43s) and triathlete Richard Stannard (43.52).
Stannard: “What a great venue. It was a fantastic place to start a race and I’m definitely looking forward to doing it again next year. I want to win it next year.”
Danni Pryor was first woman finisher and fourth overall (45.34).
Olympic silver medallist open water swimmer Kerri-Anne Payne, having just returned from the Open Water Championships, completed the event organised by Human Race in a still-impressive 47.50.
She said: “The race was amazing. The water was nice and warm and the location is brilliant. To swim but not race was really enjoyable. I had a great time out in the water talking and encouraging people on their way.”
Next women were Faye Barnard (48.40) and Kay Hamilton (52.23).
Nokia Outdoor Series – Thames Swim Course Guide
You’ll be in a wave of 100 swimmers at the start, and if you’re confident you can head to the front. But if you’re worries about swimming in a pack, take it easy at the side or back. Keri-Anne Payne explains how to stay calm from the start.
Your wetsuit’s on, Hampton Court’s behind you and the two-mile swim’s ahead…but the water’s cold, so you need to get your body ready. You can’t get into the Thames before the swim starts, but you can splash your body with water and get used to the temperature. See how Olympic open water swimmer Keri-Anne Payne suggests you get ready.
There’ll be brightly coloured buoys all the way along the Thames. They mark the route and help you stay on course as you swim. But you need to look for them by ‘sighting’.
Sighting means looking where you’re going as you swim, and having a point of reference (like a buoy) to aim for so you don’t go off course. In open water you can’t just put your head down and swim, because it’s easy to get disorientated – or swim further than you need to.
See how Keri-Anne Payne sights as she swims, here. link to sighting article in training section.
You’ll be used to the cold water now, so stay relaxed and keep a good rhythm as you swim. When you reach the halfway point, look out for Ditton Island and keep it on your right – with the cheers of the crowd on Barge Walk to your left.
But here, when you’re almost halfway, you’ll be more aware of the bend. Keep sighting the buoys (every six or seven strokes) so you stay on course.
Keri-Anne Payne discusses the finish of the race.