BUYER'S GUIDE SWIMRUN WETSUITS

Swim, run, swim, run... Simple, right? It is if you've got the right kit. We test the latest three swimrun wetsuits to go on sale

- JUDE PALMER

Taking part in a swimrun event – where you move seamlessly across land and water in a race which removes the need for transitions (or bikes) – sounds beautifully simple. After all, every item of kit you need for the day is with you in the form of a special swimrun wetsuit, your hat and goggles, your run shoes, plus optional extras allowed by the sport such as a pull buoy, hand paddles and a bungee cord, if racing with a partner.

That said, getting the right swimrun wetsuit can really make or break your day. Your suit needs to fit well enough that you can swim and run in it comfortably (trickier than it sounds) and it also needs to hit that sweet spot between keeping you warm enough in the water, but offering enough ventilation or options to unzip (or ‘cab down’ in swimrun terms) when you get warmer while running.

Swimrun wetsuits offer a range of options based on ability, too – do you want one which is super-lightweight for racing, but at the expense of buoyancy? Or are you a slower swimmer who needs to think about completing, rather than competing? On the following page, we asked swimrun coach and race organiser Jude Palmer of Run Surrey Hills to try out three of the latest suits to hit the market…

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