Whether you are a real water baby or hardly ever dip your toe in the water, you can still take part in the Swimathon London event. Held across a whole host of swimming pools, lidos and expanses of water across London, the Swimathon is a great way to raise money for charity and get fit at the same time.

Dive in
Having been up and running for 25 years, Swimathon London is part of the national Swimathon campaign that aims to raise as much money for Marie Curie Cancer Care as possible. So get that cossie or those trunks on and start practising the breast stroke now!

Splash out
Do you only ever swim in the sea on holiday? Does the thought of swimming for miles and miles really put you off? Well, don't let it as Swimathon London is designed to cater for all abilities. Everyone can take part in the event by choosing a different swimming challenge. You can swim as part of a team or individually over a course of 2.5km or 5km or if you really don't think that your doggy paddle will get you that far, you can simply state how far you will swim and aim towards that.

Take the plunge
Over half a million people have taken part in the national Swimathon since it first launched and the distance covered by all those aquatic types reaches 24 times round the world. Over £34 million has been raised for charity and this year's total from Swimathon London will simply add to that massive total and help the people behind Marie Curie Cancer Care provide nursing for terminally ill cancer patients who would otherwise go without.

Registration details
To take part in Swimathon you must register with the official organisers. Registration opens in January and closes on 26th April 2012.

Participating swimming pools
There are over 70 pools taking place in the Swimathon across London, including London Fields Lido, Balham Leisure Centre, Willesden Sports Centre, New Chiswick Pool, Brixton Recreation Centre and Finchley Lido. For a full list of all the pools participating in Swimathon London, and to register for an event, click on the link below.

Swimathon Official Site

The Swimathon takes place from Friday 27th April - Sunday 29th April 2012.

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