If you want to swim in Lake Geneva in 2022, try the Escape Léman
Everybody has their own distances and limits. A big swim for one swimmer could be a short round for another. LGSA’s has been organising the biggest of swims in Lake Geneva, the Signature Swim. But we felt that there were many swimmers who might not have the time to train and swim at least 13km.
And that’s where the Escape Lemán comes in.
What is the Escape Léman?
You could consider the Escape Léman like the Classique's little brother. The greatest distance you can swim in this event is 6.2 km, crossing the border between France and Switzerland. So it’s a great alternative for swimmers that do want to take part in an event but aren’t sure if they can train enough to be able to swim 13km.
Lake Geneva at sun set.
In more ways than one, the Escape Léman is the Classique's little brother (or sister). For the Escape Léman is held on the day after the Clasique, 17 July 2021. This makes it a great opportunity for people who came along to see your Classique swim. They can get their feet wet with shorter distances. Or if you want to get new swimmers excited about swimming in open water, there isn’t a better starter event than the Escape Léman.
How do the varying distances work in this event?
The Escape Léman event has varying distances. How does that work? How can you start a race in the middle of Lake Geneva? Well, have you thought about jumping off a boat? For the Escape Léman event, the starting point is a boat. And not just any boat.
It is the largest lateen sailing boat in the world, the Savoie. The Savoie is a boat with triangular sails of Mediterranean origin. The original Savoie was built back in 1896 and demolished in 1945. The boat we will be using for the Escape Léman is a replica registered under the name Savoie 513, a reference to its ancestor. Fun historical fact: these boats were used by “bacounis”. Bacounis were ferryman who transported raw materials and goods across Lake Geneva up to 80 times a year.
What are the distances you can swim?
The Escape Léman event is chopped up in four distances:
The longest distance of the Escape Léman event is 6.2km. It starts, like all the races on the boat which is situated in the middle of the Lake, the Franco-Swiss border from which you swim back to shore. This is the only distance that has feed stations after 2km. The other races do not offer feed stations but will have water safety support.
The middle distances are 1.5km and 750m. These are perfect distances for open water swimmers who are trying to find their next big swim. Or for triathletes who want to nail the open water swimming part of their triathlon.
Are you ready for the Escape Léman? Sign up now!
The shortest distance is 200m. Having friends and family coming along to Lake Geneva to see you swim? Challenge them to take on Lake Geneva in this short-distance event. It is perfect for beginners that are trying to get into open water swimming.
Sign up for the Escape Léman!
You can now sign up for the Escape Léman! The boats can only hold so many people, so if you’re interested don’t miss out on your chance of swimming in Lake Geneva in 2022.
Do you have questions about Escape Léman? Do contact us and we will get back to you!