Masters National Championships set for another thrilling weekend at Ponds Forge

The GoCardless Swim England Masters National Championships return this Friday, with the three-day event once again being held at Ponds Forge International Sports Centre in Sheffield.

The 1500m Freestyle heats will kick off this year’s event, followed by relay battles and individual races, before the championships conclude with the 800m Freestyle heats on Sunday afternoon.

Swimmers in all age categories are set to take part as Masters athletes from across the country come together for another weekend of competitive racing and camaraderie.

The championships always deliver incredible performances, with multiple British, European and world records often broken in the Ponds Forge pool.

Last year saw a total of 119 British, 44 European and 17 world records broken – and several of last year’s standout swimmers are set to return, including members of Trafford Metro who took home the Otter 150 Cup in the three previous years.

The club and swimmers will be looking to make history this weekend as they aim for their fourth consecutive Otter 150 Cup, following victories in 2022, 2023 and 2024.

Clubs battle for the Otter 150 Cup

This trophy, introduced to celebrate the shared 150th anniversaries of Swim England and Otter Swimming Club in 2019, is awarded annually to the top overall club at the championships.

Clubs earn points for every completed swim without disqualification, with extra points for top-three finishes and double points for relay events. The team with the highest total at the end of Sunday’s session will take home the coveted trophy.

Spectators are welcome free of charge throughout the three-day competition, with racing starting from 9am each morning.

Official event photography will be provided by Will Johnston Photography, and you can follow the action live via the results page and full schedule on the event webpage.