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10 October 2006
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A 205km Marathon
Wycombe swimmer Andrew Allum yesterday became (we think) the first person to swim the length of the River Thames in one go. The 205km Marathon took him from Letchlade in Gloucester, the Navigable head of the Thames to Richmond, London where the river becomes tidal. He writes about how it was done...
“The first recorded complete Thames swim was by Andy Nation in 2005 who broke the journey into legs spread over a three week period. It was at about the same time that I was swimming across the country from Inverness to Fort William following the Caledonian Canal. Manning the tiller of the support boat on this occasion was Harp Kaye who was to become the organizational driving force behind this year's Thames outing. A Second pilot was added in the form of Hasbana Patel who agreed to take it the turns to paddle alternating twelve hours shifts in the support kayak. Hasbana's dedication was particularly notable as she had to learn how to swim first.”
“The water in the Thames during summer rises to a fairly pleasant 20C or more, significantly warmer than the sea. Despite this training began mid-winter when the water was a mere 4C. As the temperature rose distances covered in training rose and my focus switched from mainly pool-based to Thames-based. In May Harp was able to get down from Newcastle and the borrowed kayak was tried out. Until the big day came I swam alone outside except for a few occasions when I trained with other Wycombe District SC swimmers.”
“By June the temperature was sufficient to allow me to train until either exhaustion or the tedium got the better of me. My diaries record that I was averaging 50km in the pool and 150km open water per week in the final month of training.”
"The trip had been penciled in for August. We hoped for three factors: warm water, a good flow and short hours of darkness. We were all able to persuade our respective employers to allow us to have the time off with minimum notice. However up in Tyne and Wear other commitments developed which meant the 24 hours notice I had been planning to rely on had become a fortnight. My plan of waiting for rain and then being washed down with it was not going to be possible. There was no accurate 14 day weather forecast. All things considered I decided to make use of the current heatwave and go for it. Additionally I had heard that two days previously Lewis Gordon Pugh was also doing a (non-continuous) Thames swim right the way to Southend. I might even come across him in the water."
"Day zero (Wednesday 19th July) saw the three participants gather at my flat and head off to Lechlade in the camper van. Wanting to get an early night I settled down in the van while Harp and Hasbana dinned out. In the dark of the following morning we drove the short distance to Inglesham and then walked over the field to the Round House, the start of the Thames Navigation. The support kayak was launched and I jumped in at 4:11am exactly."
"As always the morning is the best time to swim the river. The locks are closed and the chance of meeting a cruiser is minimal. The water temperature is fairly constant between day and night and it is often colder getting out than getting in. After about two kilometers we reached the first lock. Swimming is prohibited not only in the lock but the cut either side of the lock. I had reconnoitered all such hurdles in the months leading up to the swim. The plan was were possible simply to step over the weirs. This meant finding a sluice that was unopened and consequently could be passed in safety. The low rainfall meant that this was the common state of affairs. Only in Upper Thames did I find that this was sometimes not possible and I had to scramble round the side of the weir.”
“It was such a wonderfully warm day and the water clear and pleasant that we reached Oxford before the change over from Hasbana to Harp. This was my first built up area I was to swim through. It felt odd looking up at the people driving or walking home from work. Continuing on back into the country the sun began to set. Passing through Abingdon a significant proportion of the town seemed to be on the riverside and drunk. It was a relief to get back into dark and silent country leading to Dorchester. To assist with navigation I had found the best arrangement was to follow the boat as it trailed a length of lane rope behind it. On the Caledonian trip I was in front of the canoe and a bright searchlight lit the way in front of me. When following the boat I soon found the light was blinding me intolerably. So in the end I just followed the boat using the ambient light afforded by the lack of cloud.”
“The sun rose over the Chilterns as we approaches the town of Benson. At Wallingford we had the second crew change and a refill of drinking water. The later had run out some three hours ago, we having no key to sanitation stations. I always find that I was permanently thirsty on big swims but my appetite much reduced. I knew on a trip of this length I would have to make an effort to keep myself fed. To make the swim a 'proper' continuous swim I had decided to use the same rules that governs Channel swimming- no contact with the boat and certainly no getting out of the water for a little picnic. Every hour I treaded water and had a snack of some sort; croissants were a favorite and I think I got through thirty-six over the three days!”
“Day two was cooler than the previous which was lucky as my shoulders were getting red. My pace also increased slightly from the dawdle of the night. Crews were switched at Shiplake, and it was uplifting to reach the well trod territory of the Henley to Marlow stretch. Marlow is closest I would pass from home and I passed under the bridge as Marlow was entertaining a lively Friday night crowd.”
“The second night proved taxing. I was both tired from lack of sleep and swimming; my arms and legs both felt like foreign objects. Just after Windsor Harp switched back to Hasbana in the kayak. Staines proved to be the nadir of the trip. It was lunchtime and the cumulative pressures of a long swim had made me pass from tiredness, through grouchiness, in bitterness and unpleasant rudeness. Through no fault of her own this was directed at Hasbana. All of this I am deeply ashamed of now.”
“But this was overcome and by Hampton Court the knowledge that this was the home reach provided enough lift to make the final few kilometers the most satisfying so far. We were due a change at six but instead Harp drove to the finish and we saw him walking back along the toe path about half five. It felt great to see the weirs that made up the back end of Teddington Lock. Clambering out the clock was stopped at 62 hours, 7 minutes and 14 seconds.”
A checklist of some of Andrew's long distance swims are enclosed as a pdf. Click below to read...
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