Event Info
Keen As Mustard
Grafham Water
Survivor

Updated November 2024

Full event info Keen As Mustard Grafham Water Survivor swimrun, held toward the end of September each year. This venue is not far from Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire, U.K.

Grafham Water is a man-made reservoir approximately 16 km (10 miles) in circumference and 21 feet deep.

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Event Info Keen As Mustard
Grafham Water Survivor

From the air

Location

The event is based at Grafham Water reservoir, next to the village of Grafham in Cambridgeshire, U.K.. The nearest town is Huntingdon, which is North of Cambridge and South of Peterborough.

How to get there

First, you need to get to Huntingdon. You can get to Huntingdon easily from either Cambridge or Peterborough.

The nearest airports are

Cambridge (CBG) Airport.
London Luton (LTN),
London Stansted (STN),
Birmingham (BHX)
and London Heathrow (LHR)

From these airports you can hire a car and drive to Grafham.

By rail, it takes about 45 minutes from London to Peterborough.

If you are driving yourself from elsewhere in the UK, the closest main roads to Grafham are the A1 and A14.

Where to stay

There is no specific accommodation recommended; camping is available, but you need to book.

The closest camp site is Grafham Water Caravan and Motorhome Site, Church Rd, Grafham. PE28 0BB

Race distances

It's an early start, at 08:00 am!

There is just one event at the Survivor race. It is a 2.5 km lap with 2 swim sections and 3 running sections. The total running distance on each lap is 1,950 metres, with 620 metres of swimming.

The swim to run ratio for all the distances is approximately 1:3, ie 30% swimming and 70% running.

Race route

According to Keen As Mustard:

"We have a 2.5k lap with 2 swim sections and 3 run sections on and around Grafham Water. Running along the tracks and trails, swimming in reservoir. The timekeeper will start each lap after the last lap time has elapsed, but each lap time will become shorter.

That means that you have less time to complete each lap as the race progresses, so you have to go faster on each consecutive lap. The winner is the last man standing!

Take it easy to begin with, the first few laps give you plenty of time to complete them at a leisurely pace, but as the laps go on, the pressure builds as the time allowed gets shorter. Complete as many laps as you can before the time beats you..."

You have just 16 minutes to complete the last lap, for a total combined distance of 30 km. That's 12 laps.

Keen As Mustard Grafham Water Survivor swimrun race route map

The Survivor route, courtesy Keen As Mustard

Keen As Mustard Grafham Water Survivor swimrun lap times

Lap cut-off times, courtesy Keen As Mustard

Event Info Keen As Mustard
Grafham Water Survivor

Energy stations

There will be 1 water and energy drink checkpoint on the course, at the start area, which you have to go through to start the next lap.

Cut-off times

Cut-off times are to complete each lap. The first lap is relatively easy, with a 40 minute cut-off to complete 2.5 km. The next time you go around, the cut-off is 38 minutes for the lap. On the 3rd lap, you only get 36 minutes, and so on.

Weather

Held at the end of September, the water is still relatively mild but the weather can be a little unpredictable. The water temperature is around 12 degrees C. Wetsuits are compulsory if the water is below 14 degrees C. Proper trail shoes are strongly recommended.

There is always a chance of cold or wet weather, so you should take suitable clothing for every eventuality!

Summary of event info Keen As Mustard Grafham Water Survivor

The Keen As Mustard Grafham Water Survivor swimrun event is at a great location; swimming in fresh water and running on wooded trails with significant challenge!

Check dates for 2025 at our Calendar Europe 2025 page!

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