Rules & Regulations
Festival area
- There will be an entry fee into the Festival area as advertised on the website (www.rivermile.co.za)
- Access into the Festival area is only for persons presenting the appropriate wrist band.
- The following items are not allowed into the festival area:
- Weapons (carried by public)
- Animals / Pets
- Unauthorised Vendors
- Unathorised vehicles
- Visibly intoxicated persons
- Alcohol
- Open fires
- Any item(s) declared undesirable by the event organisers
- Festival gates will open at 7:30am and will close at 5pm.
Swimming events
- The open water swimming components of this Festival are run following the FINA open water swimming guidelines and under the guidance of Nelson Mandela Bay Aquatics (NMBA).
- The swimming events are a NMBA fundraising event and swimmers and athletes participate at their own risk.
- Unsigned, unpaid or incomplete entry forms will not be considered.
- Entry fees are non-refundable for whatever reason. If one or more events are deemed unsafe by the official-in-charge and unable to take place, all entrants qualifying for registration packs will receive these, but no fees will be refunded.
- Collection of registration packs is advised prior to race day. Included in your entry is your race wrist band which gets you free entry into the Festival area when worn on race day.
- Participants in ALL events must wear the supplied registration wrist band during the event and for prize giving.
- For swim races a silicone swim cap may be provided and, if so, it will be compulsory to wear and any swimmer finishing without this caps branding visible on their head may be disqualified.
- Entrants in Prelim Kids Swim race (across the river) may not take part in Mile Events.
- All swimming events will be swum up river on an incoming tide.
- These are OPEN WATER swimming events therefore extreme caution must be taken at all times. There are jetty's, marker buoys and boats in the water. It is the swimmers responsibility to ensure they swim well clear of all jetty's and stationary boats moored to such jetty's during the events. Organisers take no responsibility and/or liability for swimmers not ensuring that they don't swim into stationary objects.
- All Mile swimmers, with the exception of the Disabled Mile, must walk to the starting point as is the tradition of the River Mile.
- All swimmers are required to check in at the start of the Mile and may not enter the start area unless they are wearing the race wrist band and have the correct swim cap. Swimmers may only enter the water when advised by the race starter.
- Walking during the swim is not permitted, Wading is only permitted within 35m of the finish line (after last jetty).
- No swimming aids are permitted during Mile events. Wetsuits permitted for the Wetsuit Mile only.
- Traditional swim costumes or Fina approved swimsuits only for the Men's and Ladies Mile events.
- The Mile is a dry finish and swimmers not wearing the supplied wrist band and/or swim cap may be disqualified.
- Protests must be submitted to the NMBA Referee by the competitor or team manager within 15 minutes after the competitor concerned has completed the event. Protests must be accompanied by a R100 deposit, refunded only on successful appeal.
- The Club team category for the Mile Swim will be for pre-registered SSA registered participants who have entered their club team name on their entry form/online entry only (late entrants do not qualify for consideration).
- The School team category will be for pre-registered participants only who have indicated their school name on their entry form/online entry (late entrants do not qualify for consideration).
- Given the tidal conditions for the swims, times are mostly irrelevant. Finish times provided are therefor for information purposes only and are taken when the swimmer passes the recording desk and NOT the finish line.
- Cut-off time for all swim events will be ONE HOUR after which time the swimmer(s) will be asked to leave the water for safety reasons. All instructions from the officials and/or water safety must be followed at all times.
Any queries, please contact Zsports Events SA on 041 484 7860
Hosted in Nelson Mandela Bay this is Africa's oldest open water swimming event - established in 1924.