PARTICIPATION largest ever entry for ‘The Edge Sports’ Sandycove Island Challenge Swim 2010 being held in Kinsale, County Cork

13 Sep 2010


360 swimmers have entered ‘The Edge Sports’ Sandycove Island Challenge 2010 being held in Kinsale, County Cork on Saturday September 18th

Now it its 14th year, this 1.1 mile race takes swimmers around the famous Sandycove Island.  An Irish record is also set for the most entries to a single open water race.  The popular format sees swimmers in togs and wetsuits mixing in a series of staggered starts with medals awarded based on swim times in the two categories plus 5 year age groups and a special “best master swimmer “ award based on closest time to the world record in their age group.

Sandycove Island in Kinsale has been the leading location in Ireland and one of the world’s top ten locations for swimmers training for marathon swim since 2005.  The crowd will welcome and applaud six swimmers who have completed solo English Channel swims in the past year:

  • Lisa Cummins – the only Irish swimmer ever to swim from England to France AND BACK
  • Owen O’Keefe – the youngest ever Irish swimmer at 16
  • Donal Buckley, Jennifer Hurley, Liam Maher and Paul Massey

This year other local swimmers have completed solo swims across the Straits of Gibraltar and the 16 mile Lake Zurich race.  Also a number of swimmers took on these swims in relay teams.

‘The Edge Sports’ Sandycove Island Challenge 2010 is the last mass participation swim of the Irish 2010 calendar and prior to the swim and at the social function in Kinsale afterwards, the swimmers can discuss their 2010 accomplishments and plan goals for 2011 and beyond.  Race Chairman Ciaran O’Connor (a veteran English Channel swimmer and crew member) reflects on the importance of the event:  “Since 2005 our local area has produced 15 solo and 27 relay swimmers who have conquered the English Channel.  For each of them – The Sandycove Island Challenge has been an integral part of their training and journey.   A few years from now we’ll look back and identify 20 more channel swimmers who were inspired during this year’s race.”

Cork Masters Swimming Club and Cork Lions Club host the event and proceeds benefits local charities.