Quick entry

By clicking the button here to enter, you agree that you have read, understand and agree to the information below about this event...

A message from the organisers of the Island Challenge,Coogee, posted on Sunday, March 15...

Following on from our recent message last week regarding the Coronavirus (COVID-19), we have made the difficult decision to cancel the April 5th Coogee Island Challenge swim but feel this is the right decision under the current circumstances.

This event is one of Coogee Surf Life Saving Club’s major fundraisers with anywhere between 1,000 and 2,000 keen ocean swimmers.

However as the current situation is changing and evolving very quickly, we have a social responsibility to reduce the spread of Coronavirus in our community. Public health and safety is our number one priority.

For those who have already registered for the April swim, your registrations will automatically rollover to the November swim and we appreciate your support. For those who cannot make the November swim, please contact us by e-mail: [email protected] to arrange a refund.

We understand people will be disappointed with this decision and we apologise for any inconvenience caused but hope that you can support us by getting behind the November swim.

Stay healthy and stay safe.

More Wedding Cake for all!

This is the second bite of the wedding cake in season 2019/20, and some will say that it's the better event of the two that Coogee surf club runs. This is because it's run in autumn, which is the best time of year to swim. If you get a typical autumn Sundee morn on swim day, then there are few things better than the smooth seas, warm water, in a gentle offshore breeze.

Main swim is around Wedding Cake Island, conditions permitting. The shorter swims both run inside the island. And here's a tip: the longer swim, especially, is one of Strãa's great ocean swims. If you consider yourself an ocean swimmer, then you must do it, at least once. Be aware, though: Coogee is renowned as a beach with little surf, due to the island sitting offshore, which protects the beach from the worst of the weather and the heaviest of seas. But the island, and the rock shelves at each end of the beach, also make the water inside the island some of the bumpiest in Sydney as the swell and the chop bounces off all those hard surfaces, and sucks back from the beach. All of this contributes to the character and the challenge of this swim. You will never be bored in the water at Coogee.

Things you need to know...

• Event - Coogee SLSC Island Challenge
• Organiser - Coogee SLSC
• Distances - 2.4km (around Wedding Cake Island), 1km Splash and Dash, 800m Junior Dash, 200m Dash for Cash
• Venue - Coogee Beach, Sydney eastern suburbs
• Time/Date - Sunday, April 11, 2021, 8:30am (800m Jr Dash), 9:15am (1km), 10am (2.4km)
• Race-day registration - From 7:30am
• Entry fee - 2.4km or 1km - $45 online ($55 on race day), both swims $55 ($65 on race day), 800m Junior Dash $35 (no new entries for the 800m Junior Dash on race day)
• Online entries close - 3pm, Saturday, April 10, 2021
• Under 18 swimmers - Parents/guardians of swimmers aged under 18 must complete the online entry form, not the swimmers themselves. They must include their consent to the entry with full name and  phone contact. Just a phone number, a first name, or a number and first name will not do. Entries of U18 swimmers are not complete without this complete parental/guardian consent. Entries of U18 entrants must use the parent's email address, not that of the U18 entrant.
• Event t-shirts - Remember to order your event t-shirt as you enter online to collect on swim day. Sizes available Mens XXXL - S and Ladies XL - XS @ $30. If you'd like to order event shirts separately... Click here
• Conditions - Coogee is well-protected from the heaviest swells by Wedding Cake Island, but this can be deceptive, for with the island and rock platforms at both ends of the beach, the water inside can become quite choppy. Rarely much of a break at Coogee, but there is usually quite a sharp shore dump (see above). Swimmers outside Wedding Cake Island are likely to experience a sweep, but the course generally is set well off the island to optimise safety. Keep your eye out around the island for the stunning bottom, both inside and on the island's outside. It truly is a treat.
• Mimimum age - 10 (800m Junior Dash), 13 (2.4km & 1km)
• Phone contact - Be sure to enter a valid Australian mobile number with your entry online. Organisers may decide to send sms messages to entrants advising of changes to event arrangments. If you don't leave a valid Australian mobile number, you won't receive them.
• Teams - Four-swimmer teams in both the 2.4km and 1km swims (see team info below - Team entry forms will be accepted online only).
• Transport - If you drive, get there early (see below). Otherwise, bus services to Coogee are excellent from both Circular Quay and Central Railway.
• Parking - On street. Be warned, as in the eastern suburbs generally, parking usually is congested. There are very good bus services to and from Coogee, however, from and to both Circular Quay, Bondi Junction railway station, and Central Railway.
• Progress entries - Check progress entries on-line... Click here
  

Watch the shore break at Coogee.

Teams

Teams are made up of four competitors. Teams can register in any of the three events on offer - 800m, 1km, and 2.4km, subject to age qualifications for each of those events. Team members in the 800m must be aged 11-13, while in the two longer swims, they must be 13 or over, of either sex. There are no provisions for age group teams or separate male and female categories. Teams can register online only. All team members must have entered online as individuals when the team entry is lodged. If not, the team entry will not be accepted.

Team entries close at 5pm on Friday, April 3, 2020. This is a day earlier than the deadline for individual entries online. This is to allow for discrepancies and errors to be clarified.

NO TEAM ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THIS DEADLINE .

Prizes will be awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd placed teams based on the overall team time. All swimmers must finish to be eligible for team prizes.

Team members' entry registration ID numbers must be supplied with team entries.

To enter a team, ensure all team members have entered online first, that you have their 5-digit registration ID numbers.

To register your team... Click here

Registered teams

We'll list registered teams here after team entries close.

About this swim...

One of ocean swimming's much-loved events is back for a second time this season.

This popular ocean swim saw a record 1,800 competitors taking the plunge in November, 2011. In season 2014/15, the April iteration of this event atttracted 1,241 starters. In April! Punters are realising that autumn is the best time of year to swim.

Along with the main event - the 2.4km swim around the island - the 1km Splash and Dash and the 800m Junior Dash will also return.

Registration for all events in the middle of Coogee beach just opposite the end of Coogee Bay Road. 1km and 800m follow circuit inside Wedding Cake Island. 2.4km swim rounds Wedding Cake Island, if conditions allow.

Presentation, bbq music and drinks are at the club immediately after the swim... Make a day of it... Everyone welcome.

Other conditions

No individual escort boat, surf ski or board paddler will be permitted to accompany swimmers. Flotation devices and fins are prohibited. Wetsuits may be worn, but wettie wearers will not be eligible for prizes.

Enter here...

Please read this first: Any problems you encounter in entering this event are likely to be caused by browser conflicts. Don't hit the Submit button more than once: you will be charged each time you press it. If you run into problems, if your entry appears to fail, don't try to enter again until you have checked the progress entries list (there's a link to this above), and check your card statement to see whether a charge has been debited. If your confirmation email doesn't turn up, check your Spam and Trash folders. If all these checks return negatives, it's probably safe to try again. But ensure you have the most recent version of your browser, or use a different browser, or try from a different computer. If there's still a problem, email us and we'll try to sort it out. Refunds are available prior to close of online entries and are subject to an administration fee of $10. A service fee of $2.50 attaches to all online entries at check-out.

To enter this swim... Click here

Where it is...

Share this post