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SWIMTAG’S, cloud-based pool challenge attracted 1187 participants, across more than 200 pools in the build up to the Commonwealth Games, which took place this year on the Gold Coast of Australia.
Swimmers were invited to complete the 16km between the Carrara Stadium, where the athletics took place, and the Gold Coast Aquatics Centre, which hosted the swimming, between March 1 and the Opening Ceremony on April 4.
More than 430 participants completed the challenge in an average of 21 days. The fastest finisher was a male swimmer from a Places For People managed pool in Wellingborough who took just 3 days to swim the distance.
Speaking about the success of the challenge, Colin Scott, Business Development Manager, at 222 Sports, creators of SWIMTAG, says: “When we set the challenge we worked out that it would typically take somebody swimming 40 lengths of a 25 metre pool per session, three times per week to complete the challenge in around 4 weeks!”
SWIMTAG challenges are promoted direct to registered users. This means that operators offering the system do not have to get involved in any set up. All the administration, challenge updates and feedback to swimmers throughout the challenge is managed by SWIMTAG and accessed by participants via the SWIMTAG online platform. Operators can then choose to promote the challenge via internal marketing and social media if they wish, and this can really help to drive engagement. Our records show that pools running and promoting challenges can attract up to a 40 per cent uplift in recorded swims.
“There are always new challenge options available on the SWIMTAG system. Swimmers can move from one challenge to another. Setting personal goals maintains motivation and gives swimmers a reason to enter the water on a regular basis. If we are to halt the national decline in swim participation, we need to find new ways to engage and motivate people in our pools. SWIMTAG challenges certainly tick this box.”