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FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
General Info |
10K info |
2.4 Mile info |
1 Mile info |
250 & 1000 yard info
General Information
This race is a fund raiser for Team Fort Collins, a not-for-profit organization for preventing
drug and alcohol abuse in confines of the Poudre School District.
A portion of the registration fee is a donation to
Team Fort Collins.
Additionally, we encourage swimmer sponsorships. Here is the pledge sheet for collecting donations.
Yes! Each year since 1998, there have been long distance swimming races in Horsetooth Reservoir. There is a 10K race -- yes, that's over 6 miles, without wetsuits no less!
Since 2003 there have been 2.4 mile swims, and starting in 2007 there
will also be 250 yard, 1000 yard and 1 mile swims.
A quick description: Horsetooth Reservoir is a man-made reservoir just west of Fort Collins, Colorado at the foothills of
the Rocky Mountains (about 70 miles north of Denver)(map). The reservoir is typically ~6.5 miles long and around 1/2 mile across.
The highest elevation for the water (when the reservoir is full) is 5430 feet above sea level. Water temperature averages
65-70F (~18-21C) in August. The name Horsetooth comes from a distinctive rock above the reservoir that looks like two horse's teeth.
Information on the reservoir and the
park is available at: http://www.co.larimer.co.us/parks/Horsetooth.htm
"And I swam as if I had learned fly. I raced across the water. My strokes
felt powerful, and I felt strong, alive, as if awakened for the first
time. Nothing in the swimming pool gave me this pleasure. I was free,
moving fast, feeling the waves lifting and embracing me, and I couldn't
believe how happy I was. It was like I had gone from cage into
limitless possibilities. With each stroke, my own strength grew; I felt
the speed, the wake my body created It was such a tremendous sensation,
as if I had found my place, finally, found my niche in the universe. I
was really going somewhere. I am really moving forward. There were no
walls, no black lines to follow, no lane lines or backstroke flags."
Lynne Cox, Swimming to Antarctica: Tales of a Long Distance Swimmer,
Knopf, 2004.
And if that's not enough reason, there's always bragging rights
with your friends, or to just confirm for everyone else that
"yes, indeed I am certfiably crazy".
Oliver Turner, a former graduate student at Colorado State University initiated the 10K event. He is an experienced long distance swimmer who has swum the English Channel and Around Manhattan Island Swim. Later, others added the 2.4 mile swims.
See also here.
A bunch of crazy folks who love open water swimming are the (volunteer)
organizers. In addition to the pure pleasure of open-water,
long-distance swimming, we do this to raise money for Team Fort Collins.
Yes, the races are sanctioned by COMSA, Colorado Masters Swim Association
and the USMS, United States Masters Swimming for those 18 or older and
by USS (United States Swimming) for those 18 or younger.
Yes, of course, we have approval from Larimer County Parks and Open Lands that runs the recreational activities at Horsetooth. In addition, the Bureau of Reclamation, the federal agency that owns the reservoir, is fully supportive.
Please see here for maps.
For the 10K, the leading men and women take 2 ½ hours; slower swimmers take 4-5 hours (5 hour cutoff time).
Average time is ~3 hours.
Please see prior results.
There are restroom facilities at both the start and finish lines. You could go back to the start line, or hurry to the end. Beyond that, the organizers will not be providing porta potties along the course. Sorry, you will have to relieve yourself some other way. There's a lot of water out there so any waste will be diluted rather quickly.
If you are caught urinating in the reservoir, you will be cited by the park rangers, ticketed and forced to do 25 hours of community service. And, yes you will be disqualified from the event. Members of the race committee are currently 'serving their time' and can give you recommendations for worthy causes if you are penalized.
If you are doing the 10K, you will have your very own personal support craft right nearby.
If you are doing the 2.4, 1mile, 1000 or 250 yard swims, there will be
safety boats (canoes or kayaks) looking for troubled swimmers. Stop,
tread water, wave your hands and yell and they will come to you.
While officially no swimmer is to supposed to receive aid, you can hold
on to the boat if you are about to drown. In addition, Dive Rescue
boats will be monitoring the race and provide help as needed as well as
having EMTs from PVH on shore at Satanka Cove.
INFORMATION ON THE 10 KM SWIM
OK, OK. Now tell me about the swimming events themselves. Isn't a 10 km swim pretty hardcore?
A 10 km in open water swim is reasonably hardcore. There are even harder-core swims: 25 km swim in Tampa, 12 km Key West swim, 26 km Manhattan Island Swim and of course the 32 km English Channel. But with the 10 km you are getting into a small group of people willing to swim this far. A fast swimmer (ex college but not at world class form) will take around 2 hours and 30 minutes with a more typical swimmer taking 3-4 hours. We have a time limit of 5 hours, after that the rescue boat pulls you out.
We do screen the applicants for the 10 km to make sure that we feel they can safely finish the race. Some of the criteria that we look at include experience in endurance events over 2 hours, experience in open water swimming and experience in colder open water swims. This does not mean that if someone is lacking in one area that we immediately reject them. Frequently, we work with them to identify ways they can modify their training to get the necessary experience to increase their chances of finishing safely. Examples might be some 2-3 mile training swims in open water with cooler water temperatures. This helps the swimmers body to adapt to the open water and the swimmer's mental state in handling the feelings of tiredness and cold.
We know you're tough, but the 10 km swim is a bit different. A side effect of all that running and bike training is that it naturally reduces the body fat needed to help maintain body heat during a long distance open water swim. This does not mean a triathlete can't do well at the event, it merely means that you low-body-fat guys and gals have a challenge that has to be taken seriously. We have had triathletes with Ironman notches on their belts who have experienced some problems with no wet suits in the cold-water temperatures.
The biggest challenge that a swimmer will have at the Horsetooth Swim is handling the colder water for the extended period.
Being a high altitude reservoir, the water temperature stays relatively cool year round. At the time of the swim, it typically
warms up to 65-70F. To complicate things, we abide by international rules for long distance swims where wetsuits are NOT allowed.
In our experience, the cold water is the biggest challenge endurance athletes have to overcome.
I am not sure how you will get acclimated to the cold water but we will warn you to take the temperature seriously.
In 2002, despite the much publicized drought we were experiencing, the water temperature dropped to 62F for the swim.
None of the locals had been training in cold reservoirs since all the reservoirs were warmer than normal due to the drought.
The colder temperature in Horsetooth still remains a mystery to us even though we have some theories. Anyway, the result
was a record number of DNFs due to the cold temperature. The medics had to treat two cases of hypothermia. Unfortunately,
we do not have control of the water temperature.
Even in 2008 with the water temperature in the 70s, we had swimmers that did
not finish the race due to hypothermia. Even experienced open water swimmers can be caught unexpected by hypothermia
as shown in this article by Cyrise Sanders.
Information on hypothermia and
here.
Information on swimming-induced pulmonary edema is
here.
You mentioned that you are sure that you can make the distance. I will caution you that a 10 km swim in cold water is "longer" then a normal 10 km swim. What I mean by longer is that the cold will cause you to dissipate more energy per mile then normal. This means that from an energy view point, you will require more energy than a 10 km swim in moderate water temperatures. If you start running low on energy, you will have more trouble maintaining body temperature and may develop hypothermia. I also recommend (if you don't already) to try drinking an energy drink during your training swims in reservoirs (between laps?) to train your body to take in nutrition during the swim. Most pool swimmers typically aren't used to eating and drinking during workouts. Some people have trouble at first with eating/drinking during exercise but don't worry; you can train your body to eat just like you train it to swim. You might want to even try an energy bar or candy bar between laps to see how your body handles it. Then your paddler can throw you something from the boat during the Horsetooth swim. Generally, most people can get by with energy drinks (versus real food) for events under 3 hours.
We're not nutrition experts so you might want to consult with your favorite expert in this area. Remember you have your personal escort in the support craft. That person will be happy to toss you a bottle with water or your favorite sports drink, or even some food in a plastic bag. Just tell him/her what you want and when. BUT beware! No touching the craft or you are disqualified!
The key we have found to handling the colder water is to train in colder water. The body adapts rather quickly if trained properly. The first day, swim just 10 minutes. The second, 15. By the third day, you are up to 30 minutes, and well on your way.
Now, I know that this advice isn't useful to you if you have trouble finding
cold reservoirs to swim. You do have several options up and down the Front
Range in Colorado, including organized open water swims at Chatfield
Reservoir in Denver, the Rez in Boulder, Union Reservoir in Longmont and
Lake Loveland. In addition, there are occasional informal open water
swims in Fort Collins (contact George Thornton ).
For a variety of reasons -- safety, nutrition, navigation -- we do require a
support craft for each swimmer in the 10K. You have two options: (1)
You can bring your own support craft and paddler, or (2) we can provide
the support for the first 25 people who ask. We charge a fee ($25) if
the organizers arrange for a support craft and paddler.
Information on the 2.4 Mile Swim
Information on the 1 Mile Swim
Information on the 1000 & 250 yard Swims
