Longest-running bog-snorkelling championship

The World Bog Snorkelling Championships (UK) held at the Waen Rhydd peat bog near Llanwrtyd Wells, Powys, UK, was established in 1985 and has taken place in August every year since (barring 2020 and 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic). Entrants into the unusual swimming race have hailed from all over Europe, as well as the USA and parts of Asia, making this a truly international contest.

The quirky competition in Wales sees competitors race to complete two lengths of a 55-m (180-ft) water-filled trench cut through the Waen Rhydd peat bog. Contestants are also encouraged to show up in fancy-dress along with the pre-requisite snorkel, masks and flippers.

The most recent event (the 35th edition) took place on 27 August 2023, where stand-out outfits included a man dressed as a Barbie doll still in its box and a woman sporting a large plastic toad on her head.

The current women's world record speed to complete the World Bog Snorkelling Championships stands at 1 minute 22.56 seconds, set by Kirsty Johnson (UK) in 2014. Neil Rutter (UK) has won the men's title five times consecutively since 2017. Plus with his latest victory in 2023, he crossed the finish line in record time: 1 minute 12.34 seconds. This bettered the previous mark, also set by him, of 1 minute 18.82 seconds, achieved in 2018.