WOW Challenge

Update for 3rd March 2024

After following the weather forecasts all week, the WOW Organising Committee have this evening come to the regretful decision that we are unable to proceed with our normal competition tomorrow.

Our priority will always be the safety of both our swimmers, and our volunteer crew out on the water. Tomorrow’s forecast of increasing winds does not make proceeding with the planned events possible. No alternate date is possible at this late stage in the season.

Instead, we would like to offer all entrants the option to participate in a friendly 1.2km swim. A final decision to proceed with this event will however be made at 7:00am tomorrow.

Should we be able to proceed, swimmers are asked to register as normal from 7:00am, where you will receive a timing band, swim cap and t-shirt. The swim will start in mass-start waves from 8:30am. Waves will be in the following order….

·         Open Male (18-29)

·         Open Female (18-29)

·         Senior Male (30-39)

·         Senior Female (30-39)

·         Masters Male (40-49)

·         Masters Female (40-49)

·         Juniors (17 and under)

·         Veterans Male (50-59)

·         Veterans Female (50-59)

·         Veterans Male (60-69 & 70+)

·         Veterans Female (60-69 & 70+)

Times will be published via Tomato Timing, but there will no medals or prize-money.

Age group placings will be published as normal, allowing those involved to collect GVSS points.

Regardless of whether you choose to swim tomorrow, we ask all entrants to consider their entry fees as a donation to the Williamstown Swimming & Lifesaving Club. Should you wish to claim this donation on your tax, please send an email to info@wowwilliamstown.org.au with the subject line TAX RECEIPT and clearly state your name in the body of the email.

As always, we look forward to welcoming you to beautiful Williamstown Beach.

Yours,

The WOW Challenge Organising Committee.

 

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EVENT DAY INFORMATION

WOW Event Update – 2nd March 

After following the weather forecasts all week, the WOW Organising Committee have this evening come to the regretful decision that we are unable to proceed with our normal competition tomorrow.

Our priority will always be the safety of both our swimmers, and our volunteer crew out on the water. Tomorrow’s forecast of increasing winds does not make proceeding with the planned events possible. No alternate date is possible at this late stage in the season.

Instead, we would like to offer all entrants the option to participate in a friendly 1.2km swim. A final decision to proceed with this event will however be made at 7:00am tomorrow.

Should we be able to proceed, swimmers are asked to register as normal from 7:00am, where you will receive a timing band, swim cap and t-shirt. The swim will start in mass-start waves from 8:30am. Waves will be in the following order….

  • Open Male (18-29)
  • Open Female (18-29)
  • Senior Male (30-39)
  • Senior Female (30-39)
  • Masters Male (40-49)
  • Masters Female (40-49)
  • Juniors (17 and under)
  • Veterans Male (50-59)
  • Veterans Female (50-59)
  • Veterans Male (60-69 & 70+)
  • Veterans Female (60-69 & 70+)

Times will be published via Tomato Timing, but there will no medals or prize-money.

Age group placings will be published as normal, allowing those involved to collect GVSS points.

Regardless of whether you choose to swim tomorrow, we ask all entrants to consider their entry fees as a donation to the Williamstown Swimming & Lifesaving Club. Should you wish to claim this donation on your tax, please send an email to info@wowwilliamstown.org.au with the subject line TAX RECEIPT and clearly state your name in the body of the email.

As always, we look forward to welcoming you to beautiful Williamstown Beach.

Please click below sections for further WOW Challenge Open Water Championships information

ARRIVAL

On arriving at the beach, please proceed directly to the Registration desk. Here you will be issued with your cap, and an event t-shirt, and then your timing band.

 

BAG DROP

If you would like to leave items with us on race day for the duration of your swim, you can do so at registration. We will take all measures to ensure the safety of your belongings, but please be aware that the Williamstown Swimming and Life Saving Club are not liable for loss of property left in bag drop.

EVENT TIMING

1.2km Event starts will be in 2 mass starts, male identifying and female identifying.

 10km events will be divided into Wetsuits and Non-Wetsuit divisions with swimmers starting, within a nominated time window, in groups of 5 at 10 second intervals.

Starts will only be possible at the nominated time for your particular event.

5km & 2.5km events will be rolling starts within a nominated time window, in groups of 5 at 1 second intervals. Starts will only be possible at the nominated time for your particular event.

Start and Finish times will be recorded via the Tomato Timing band system supplied on the day, and publish as soon as possible after the event is completed.

MARSHALLING

It is important to observe your allocated start window and every effort will be made to get everyone into the water punctually.

10km, 5km, and 2.5km starts will be in groups of 5 at 10 second intervals. 1.2km evets will be in mass starts.

Start times will be taken from the supplied timing band as you cross the electronic start line. This event is a beach start only. Exceptions may be requested in writing to registrations@williamstownslsc.org.au

A safety briefing will be available on the WOW Challenge website from 5pm on Wednesday February 22. It is your responsibility to view this briefing and familiarise yourself with the course. Live briefings will not be available on the day.

 

FEEDING STATION

A feeding platform will be in place in the water for those requiring mid-swim nutrition. It will be supervised only – no official feeding assistance will be offered to competitors.

Please secure your nutrition to the platform in a mesh bag, clearly marked with your name. Anyone observed interfering with, moving, or removing articles belonging to another competitor, will be requested to leave the water immediately. A DSQ or DNF may be recorded.

FINISH LINE

You must pass under the FINISH arch on the beach to obtain a race time. Please then remove your timing band and place it in one of the bins supplied.

RACE BRIEFING

The WSLSC WOW Challenge 2024 – Sunday 3rd March

Registrations are now open for the next WOW Challenge Sunday 3rd of March 2024 the biggest swim challenge in Melbourne this summer – at Williamstown.

The Williamstown Open Water Championship – “The WOW Challenge” is Victoria’s world class, championship distance, open water swim event. The WOW Challenge is for everyone – champions, weekend warriors, kids, multiclass, fast, slow, young and old!

Past winners at Williamstown include 2015 World Champion Jordan Wilimovsky, Team USA’s Katy Campbell, Australian Dolphin Sam Sheppard and Brazilian Olympian Lisandra De Carvalho.

The WOW Challenge is swum at Williamstown Beach on our famous championship 2.5Km course. This year we have a beach start,  you will swim in an anti-clockwise direction.   Your first turn will take you around the Rock Groyne and over The Crystals, a local diving and snorkelling site. A left turn close to the boat harbour takes you out into deeper water and after another left turn, you’ll head East onto the legendary WOW Back Straight. With a final left turn, swimmers head back to the beach area, feeding station or finish arch on the sand.

Weather conditions may see the course reversed back into a clockwise direction.  We want you to have any wind behind you on the back straight.

The event is conducted by the Williamstown Swimming and Life Saving Club. Swimmers of all ages and abilities will have the opportunity to choose from a range of swim distances.

The WOW Challenge provides the chance to swim with the best swimmers from around the world, is part of the Great Victorian Swim Series and raises funds for not-for-profit organisations.

All  distances, wetsuits are permitted without restriction. Supplied event caps are compulsory. Fluro vests may be worn by choice. No other buoyancy or assistance tools may be used.

 

 

WOW Enquiries

Follow this link to register, or  email us for more information.

 

WOW Volunteers

We welcome and encourage all WSLSC members to volunteer to help out on the day and or before, please follow this link to sign up for volunteer duty, and or Water Safety or  email us for more information.