Event Info
Keen As Mustard
Grafham Water

By Richard Mitchell and Mogsy Ford

Updated November 2024

Full event info Keen As Mustard Grafham Water swimrun, held toward the end of June 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

Grafham Water Reservoir from the airFrom the air
As Keen As Mustard Logo

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

There are 3 race distances:

  • An Intro event of 5 km
  • A sprint distance of 10 km
  • a  'Half' distance of 21 km

The 5 km Intro race involves 1400 metres of swimming (4 sections)  and 4 km of running (5 sections). Start time is 09:00am on Sunday 29th June.

The 10 km race involves 7 swim legs and 8 running sections. The total swim distance is 2900 metres and total run distance is 8 km. Start time is 08:35am.

The 21 km event includes 4500 metres of swimming over 11 legs, and 12 km of running, over 8 legs. The start time is 08:30am.

The 5 km and 10 km distances are only open to solo competitors; the 21 km event is open to solo racers and teams of two.

The swim to run ratio for all the distances is 1:5 ie 20% swimming and 80% running.


Race routes

According to Keen As Mustard:

"We have undulating 5k, 10k and 21k courses and super open water swimming. The course has easy entry and exits into the water and amazing trail running through the woods and tracks around the reservoir. The courses head out along the north shore, with swims across the natural bays, runs through woods and around the reed banks. The  shorter courses then weave their way back along the north shore to the finish as the 21k heads off through the nature reserve and around the reservoir. "


Keen As Mustard Grafham Water swimrun 5km race route5km route map Courtesy Keen As Mustard
Keen As Mustard Grafham Water Swimrun 10km Sprint route map10km route map Courtesy Keen As Mustard
Keen As Mustard Grafham Water swimrun 21km route map21km route map Courtesy Keen As Mustard

Event Info Keen As Mustard
Grafham Water

Energy stations

  • There will be 1 water and energy drink checkpoint on the 10k course, at the 6 km mark. 
  • On the 21k course there will be 2 stations, at 6 km and 12.3 km.


Cut-off times

Cut-off times are based on a pace of 3 minutes per 100 metres of swimming and 15 minutes per mile running pace, which is quite generous!

  • The Intro 5km race cut-off is 11:00am into the last swim
  • The Sprint 10 km cut-off is 11:30am into the last swim
  • The Half 21 km cut-off is at 13:00 onto the last swim

Weather

Held at the end of June, the water is mild  and the weather is warm but a little unpredictable. The water temperature is around 15 degrees C.  Wetsuits are not compulsory unless 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

The Keen As Mustard Grafham Water 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!

If you think that this page needs an amendment, please let us know via the Contact Us link. Thank you!


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