Still in the swim – 95 years later
● River Mile action this weekend
Africa’s oldest swimming event will form part of the River Mile festival at the Sundays River Cannonville slipway this weekend.
On Sunday, the 95th edition of the River Mile will take place at the beautiful venue.
The race is the oldestknown open-water swimming event in Africa and one of the oldest in the world.
Event winners can be tracked all the way back to the first race, which was won by Roy Gregory in 1924.
On that same day, the team trophy was also competed for.
The first five swimmers across the finish line from the same club were declared the winners and so the River Mile was born.
In 2019’s event, swimmers will be competing in similar categories. The action in the water and the “off-field” entertainment and R10,000 prize for the school with the most entries promise another exciting River Mile.
Many things have changed during the past 95 years.
The 1930s would not have seen more than 400 vehicles showing up to the event, and it would not have had a pop-up beer garden in the form of Bridge Street Brewery.
For a time in the 1970s, skiing became popular and displays were held.
In 2019, a new piece of technology will be used when a 144-inch big-screen television set will live-stream the event to social media sites and be watched by hundreds of spectators in the Cerebos chill zone.
It is sure to create a friendly, family-perfect atmosphere.
Even though there are dif- ferent winners each year, new technology which comes in from time to time, fads which come and go and recently even a venue change, the River Mile race format has remained very much the same for nearly a century.
This makes it one of most illustrious races in which to compete.
The favourites in 2019 all stand a chance to put their name next to 94 others on the trophy, something not many other event winners can say.
Secure your entry now at www.rivermile.co.za