Age Group Competition

Each season you have a choice of up to four great distances to swim, at each of our six unique locations*. Over and above the thrill of the swim itself, you are also eligible for individual event awards for your achievements, across all disciplines.

This season, due to popular demand, we have brought back the medals and have now extended them to include 1st, 2nd and 3rd overall place-getters in the ‘Give it a Go’ 300m and 200m State OceanKids swims as well. Awesome!

As well as the individual event awards, there are also Series Awards for the ‘I’m Going Long’ competitors keen to be rewarded for effectively saying ‘I swam the country’! See below for details on how to be eligible for these.

* the State Harbour Crossing event only has the ‘I’m Going Long’ swim distance of 2.9km

Individual events categories and prizes:

Your age category for all individual events is based on your age as on your chosen event day.

‘I’m Going Long’ swims
In the ‘I’m Going Long’ swims there are 14 age groups: under 15, 15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75+. In each age-group 1st, 2nd and 3rd male and females will be awarded with medals at event prize givings.

The non-wetsuit swimmers in the ‘I’m Going Long’ swim have the same categories, with the 1st male and female in each age group being awarded with medals at event prize givings.
NB: The elite category is now separate to this – see the Elite Series Competition page for more info.

‘Step It Up’ 1000m swims
There are seven age group categories in the ‘Step it Up’ swim event: under 15, 15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60+. The overall 1st, 2nd and 3rd placed male and females will be awarded medals at each event as well as the 1st placed male and females in each age category.

‘Give It A Go’ 300m swims
There are seven age group categories in the ‘Give it a Go’ swim event: under 15, 15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60+. The overall 1st, 2nd and 3rd placed male and females will be awarded medals at each event. No age group specific medals will be awarded but event results and downloadable certificates that you can write your place in your category will be available from our website results page.

State OceanKids 200m swims
There are three age group categories for the 200m OceanKids swim, under 8, 9 and 10 year olds. Please see the State OceanKids page for more information on the event.

Series categories and awards – Long ocean swim events only

The Series points and prizes only apply to competitors swimming in the ‘I’m Going Long’ swims. By entering and swimming three or more of these swims you are automatically eligible for Series points and awards presented on 6 April 2013. Your highest three points will be entered into the series competition. Competitors with the highest points at the end of the Series will win age-group awards.

NB: Overall series prize money will only be allocated to ‘elite’ competitors – for more information see the Elite Series Competition.

Series age-group categories – ‘I’m Going Long’ swim events only
Series age-group awards will be presented to 1st, 2nd and 3rd-placed competitors in the 14 age-group categories listed in the age-group categories section above. The age group that a Series participant is automatically entered into will be determined by their age as at 10 November 2012 (the date of the series’ first event – the State Paihia Classic).

Enter three or more ‘I’m Going Long’ swims and be proud to say, “I’ve swum the country!”

It’s simple:

• Enter three or more ‘I’m Going Long’ swim events to qualify
• First-placed overall male and female at events will both receive 100 points. All the following competitors will be awarded points as a percentage of the winner’s times
• Each competitor’s best three results will be calculated at the end of the series to determine all series winners
• To win an age-group awards, you will need to have the highest number of points in your age category over the series
• Elite competitors who achieve an overall top three prize will not be eligible to win in their age-groups
• The 1st, 2nd and 3rd male and female in each of the 14 age groups will be presented age-group awards
• Series winners will be announced at the Series prize giving following the King of the Bays prize giving on 6 April 2013 in Takapuna, North Shore. So, if you think you will be in with a chance to win, please plan to stay for the additional prize-giving
• In the case of two competitors having equal maximum points, the winner will be decided as follows:
• If at any time during the series the two tied competitors have swum in the same event, the winner will be the competitor who has biggest average winning margin over the other.
• If the two competitors have never swum in the same event, then the winner will be the competitor with the greatest average points margin between first and second place in the races they have won.