The World Bog Snorkelling Championship Is on Sunday and Conventional Swimming Strokes Are Still Banned
Two lengths of a trench cut through peat at Waen Rydd, 120 yards in total, mask and snorkel and flippers only. The men's record has stood since 2018 at one minute 18.81 seconds.
The World Bog Snorkelling Championships are on Sunday 30 August at Waen Rydd bog in Llanwrtyd Wells, Powys. Competitors swim two lengths of a water-filled trench cut through peat, 120 yards in total, starting at around 10am.
The rules that make it a sport
Mask, snorkel and flippers are compulsory. Conventional swimming strokes are banned. Propulsion has to come from the flippers, with arm movement restricted to a doggy-paddle motion below the water. That single prohibition is what stops the event from being a short open-water swim in unusually brown conditions, and it is why the records are as slow as they are.
The records
| Category | Holder | Time | Set |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men's | Neil Rutter | 1:18.81 | 2018 |
| Women's | Kirsty Johnson | 1:22.56 | 2014 |
Both were set at this same bog. Neither has been beaten in eight and twelve years respectively.
The event
First held in 1988, it runs annually on the August bank holiday weekend. Entrants have historically travelled from Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, England, Finland, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, Poland, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Wales and the United States. Online entries close seven days before, and entry on the day is available at the bog.
A free shuttle bus runs from Llanwrtyd Wells town square from around 9am, or it is a mile on foot.
There is also a bog snorkelling triathlon at the same site: the 120-yard snorkel, a 19-mile bike ride and a 7.5-mile run.
Where it sits on Playdash
Playdash's book is built around football, cycling, tennis, motorsport and the major esports circuits, and it does not price the World Bog Snorkelling Championships. This is editorial coverage of the competitive-sport calendar rather than a market preview.
Date, venue, course, rules and record details as published by Green Events, Visit Wales and Wikipedia. 2026 entry numbers, entry fee and prize arrangements were not published on those pages and are not stated here. Correct at the time of writing on 28 August 2026.