Hardy swimmers take on peat bog for annual bog snorkelling championships

There was very little visibility on the course but plenty for spectators to see during the traditional Rude Health World Bog Snorkelling Championships.

Competitors take part in the Rude Health World Bog Snorkelling Championships at Waen Rhydd peat bog in Llanwrtyd Wells, Wales. Picture date: Sunday August 27, 2023. PA Photo. Bog snorkelling is a sporting event where competitors aim to complete two consecutive lengths of a 60 yards water-filled trench cut through a peat bog in the shortest time possible, wearing traditional snorkel, diving mask and flippers. Photo credit should read: Ben Birchall/PA Wire.

The charity fundraising event has been run since the 1980s and attracts hundreds to Llanwrtyd Wells, south of the Shropshire border in Powys.

Hardy swimmers take to the murky waters of the Waen Rhydd peat bog for a bracing splash along a 60 metre course.

Competitors from as far afield as Australia, New Zealand, USA, China and South Africa descend over the August Bank Holiday.

Anyone can have a go at the world title as long as they turn up in Powys with flippers, mask, a snorkel, the £20 entry fee and the hope they can triumph or at least enjoy the unique experience.