BLOEMFONTEIN – A brand new adventure awaits enthusiastic open water swimmers at the Gariep Dam.
The Kovsie Aquatics Swimming Club that usally hosts a swimming event in January in preparation for the Midmar Mile, will move to the Forever Resort at Gariep Dam on 17 and 18 January.
The event, now officially known as the Gariep Open, will take place in the dam, offering swimmers and their families a full weekend of racing, relaxation and holiday fun.
The Gariep Open will take place over two days, bringing a mix of competitive races and accessible distances for all levels of swimmers. Set against the backdrop of South Africa’s largest storage dam, the event aims to attract swimmers from across the region and beyond, while also giving local residents an opportunity to be part of a growing open water swimming community. Clubs, schools and social swimmers are all encouraged to take part.
Forever Resort Gariep provides a scenic and well-equipped venue for the event, with safe swimming areas, plenty of space for spectators, and facilities ideal for a family weekend away.
With accommodation, camping, and leisure activities on site, the Gariep Open is positioned as a complete experience. Families can enjoy the resort, explore the area and support their swimmers from the shoreline.
“This move to Gariep Dam gives us the chance to grow the event and offer swimmers a destination weekend,” says Christopher Steven of the organising team from Kovsie Aquatics. “We want families to come for the race, but stay for the atmosphere, the resort and the natural beauty of the area.”
The club hopes to build the Gariep Open into a key fixture on the South African open water calendar.
The Gariep Open is a sanctioned Swimming South Africa event, ensuring that safety standards, officiating and event organisation meet national requirements. All official race times will be recorded on the Swimming South Africa database, which means swimmers can use their results as qualifying or reference times for Open Water Nationals later in 2026. This makes the event particularly important for competitive swimmers.
In addition, the Gariep Open will serve as an official Midmar Mile seeding event, as confirmed by Midmar Race director, Wayne Ridden. Swimmers who take part will be able to use their Gariep Open times to assist with seeding for the famous Midmar Mile, adding extra value for those planning on racing there as well.
The programme includes distances suited to both seasoned athletes and newcomers to open water swimming. Competitive swimmers can test themselves over longer distances, while social swimmers and younger participants can enjoy shorter, friendlier options that still give them a taste of open water racing.
The event line-up includes:
- A 3km open water race, including a wetsuit category.
- 1km age-group races for various age brackets.
- A 500m fun swim, perfect for beginners, younger swimmers, or those who simply want to experience open water in a safe, structured environment.
- A 5km open water event, including a wetsuit category, for those looking for a serious endurance challenge.
With clearly defined age groups and distances, the Gariep Open has been designed to be inclusive, safe and well-structured, making it ideal for clubs, schools, and individual swimmers. The organisers will focus strongly on safety, with lifeguards and officials in place throughout.
Entries for the Kovsie Aquatics Gariep Open 2026 are now open and can be completed online via WebTickets. Swimmers are encouraged to enter early to secure their place, as sanctioned open water events and Midmar seeding races often reach capacity quickly.
To enter, visit WebTickets here. Entry details, race times and event information are all available on the platform.
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