Open Water Events for Triathletes
Triathletes are spoilt for open water options, from local lake swims and pier to pier races to single day marathon events. UltraSwim 33.3 sits at the far end of that range: the iconic English Channel distance of 33.3km, spread over four days in warm, clear water. If you have built real swim fitness for triathlon and want to make the water the main event rather than the warm up, or due to injury swimming is the only option for you at the moment, this is the open water challenge worth training for.
OPEN WATER EVENTS FOR TRIATHLETES
What makes an event right for triathletes
The shortlist
Not every open water event helps a triathlete. The best ones give you four things. Warm water (and flexible rules on wetsuits), so you focus on technique not survival. Real volume, so you build endurance that transfers. Coaching and support, so you improve rather than just survive. And a calendar slot that complements your race season rather than clashing with it. Each UltraSwim 33.3 event delivers the full 33.3km Channel distance across four days in 19 to 26 degree water, with the sighting, drafting and pacing practice that pays off in every triathlon swim. Pick the venue and dates that work around your key races.
In short: warm water, real open water volume, coaching and support, and dates that fit your race calendar.
Which UltraSwim 33.3 edition suits you
The Greek island of Milos early June, great way to kick off your season. Switzerland in July offers a focused mid season fresh water week. Greece, Skopelos, gives the warmest water of the series for late season volume in September. Montenegro in October is a perfect end of season reward and reset. The Barcelona COMPACT edition is a shorter two day option if you want a taste. Whatever your race calendar, there is an edition that slots in as your peak open water block, leaving you with a swim leg transformed.
Croatia, early season. Greece, warmest water. Montenegro, season reset.
Cover at every event
Support. Whichever edition you choose, every UltraSwim 33.3 group swims with two safety boats and two kayaks alongside, GPS tracking and on water feeding, with a medical and physio team on site each day. The standard of safety is identical across every venue, so you can pick on dates and location with total confidence.
Two boats, two kayaks per group. GPS tracking and feeding. Medical and physio on site.
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Open water events worth racing as a triathlete
Where to race the open water leg as a stand alone. The best open water events for triathletes deliver three things. Course profiles that mirror Ironman swim conditions with mass start, sighting buoys and contested water. Field depth so you race against swimmers not paddlers. Coaching support so each event becomes a development session. UltraSwim 33.3 events tick all three across four staged days. Oceanman events tick the first two reliably. The Bosphorus crossing ticks one. SwimRun events are a different sport and rarely transfer. Pick by what your weakness is. If sighting is hard, race a sea event. If pacing is hard, race a course with timing splits. If recovery from the swim is hard, race a multi day event. The right event becomes a training stimulus, not a one shot result.
Race profile mirrors Ironman swim. Field depth matters more than total numbers. Coaching is the training stimulus.
What every package includes
Value. From 1,800 euros, every event package covers four days of supported swimming, luxury hotel accommodation, breakfasts and lunches, transfers and a preparation programme. The price and the standard are consistent across the calendar, so the only real decision is which venue and which week suit your season best.
All inclusive from 1,800 euros. Hotel, meals and transfers. Consistent across the calendar.
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Open Water for Triathletes, Answered
COMMON QUESTIONS
What open water events suit triathletes best?
It depends on your goal. For speed and sharpening, short local races and pier to pier swims are ideal. For a bigger test, single day marathon swims of 5km to 10km build endurance. For a genuine adventure and a story to tell, a multi day event like UltraSwim 33.3 takes you to the English Channel distance of 33.3km in warm water. Many triathletes work up through all three.
Do I need to swim without a wetsuit?
At UltraSwim 33.3 the warm water means most swimmers choose not to wear a wetsuit, though policy varies by event and conditions. Swimming without one changes your body position and asks a little more of your core and stroke. If you have only ever raced in a wetsuit, a few sessions in skins before the event make the transition comfortable.
How much swimming do I need to commit to?
More than a triathlon block, but less than you might fear. The 16 week preparation programme builds your weekly distance steadily so that four consecutive stages feel manageable rather than daunting. If you can already swim for an hour without stopping, you have a solid base to start from.
Will I be racing or just completing?
Both are welcome. Some swimmers chase a time across the four stages, others simply want to finish each day and soak up the experience. There is no pressure to race. The format rewards steady, repeatable swimming, and the community energy carries everyone, fast and steady alike.
How is the swimming kept safe?
Every swimmer has a kayak alongside, support boats carry medically trained crew, and there is an on site Medical Director. The course is marked and the water chosen for warmth and clarity. Pre event health screening and a clear safety briefing mean you can focus on the swim, not the risk.
Is it worth the step up from local races?
If you want more than a finish line photo, yes. UltraSwim 33.3 turns open water swimming from a discipline you train for into an adventure you remember. Most swimmers arrive alone and leave with friends for life, having swum a distance most triathletes never attempt.
