In the early days of triathlon it was common to see elite and recreational athletes taking part in the same races under the same conditions. This no longer happens at sprint and standard distance events but it’s still a feature in Ironman and other long-distance events. To many participants, it’s part of the attraction.
Until recently, there were very few opportunities like this in open water swimming. However, that’s changing with the creation of the FINA Open Water Mass Swimming World Series.
Throughout the year, the world’s top elite open water swimmers compete in a 10k World Cup circuit organised and promoted by FINA, the international governing body for aquatics. There are usually seven events around the world each year.