Taking the plunge for the Blue Mile challenge
SWIMMERS, kayakers, boarders and walkers were all out in force over the weekend for the Ecover Blue Mile flagship event.
The mass-particpation event is being held all over the country but Plymouth was chosen as the flagship venue for 2012.
Combined with the on-going nine-day Marine City Festival, the event drew hundreds of people down to the Barbican.
Three one-mile swimming races took place on Saturday for different abilities – with Plymouth Olympic Gold Medalist Ruta Meilutyte also taking part.
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Other one-mile events took place with people using kayaks and stand-up paddle boards to get around the course which began at the Mayflower steps.
Carol Humphery was standing along the quayside watching her daughter Michelle take part in the third swimming event of the day.
"We're watching my daughter Michelle, son Neil and later we will be watching our daughter-in-law compete in the corporate challenge. It's fantastic, absolutely brilliant."
Judith Staines, aged 56, competed in the middle group. Speaking after the swim she said: "It was good, it went fine and the sea was warm – probably because I've been swimming in the sea here without a wetsuit and today we had to wear one."
The Ecover Blue Mile is raising funds to support WWF's work protecting the country's rivers and seas.
People can swim, kayak, paddle or simply walk along a river to take part – all that is asked is that participants complete a mile on or near water to help protect the marine and freshwater environment.
Members of the Plymouth Leander Swimming club also took part in the open water swim.
Coach, John Rudd, said: "It's a good fun, local event and it's good training as well for us. We trained for two hours before coming down so they were already tired before they started."
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