As a keen open water swimmer I often get asked what the average time to swim a mile would be? I have took it upon myself to research this question as well as put to the test my own swim mile in the sea to see what my average time is.
A non-competitive, relatively in-shape swimmer usually completes one mile in open water between 35 – 45 minutes, on average using a front crawl stroke. Where as experienced swimmers can swim an impressive time anywhere between 25 – 30 minutes.
How fast you can swim one mile in open water depends on a number of factors, including your fitness level, genetics, environmental conditions and swimming stroke.
Your level of fitness usually matters more than your age or sex. That’s because you need endurance to complete the swim. How fast you swim also depends on the pace and total distance you’re trying to complete.
Average open water swimming, men vs women
Differences between the sexes can influence swimming pace. One of the reasons why elite male athletes often swim faster times than female elite athletes has to do with muscle mass. Having more fast-twitch muscles in the legs and arms can result in a faster speed.
However, at longer distances women may have an advantage. A study conducted in ultra marathon runners by RunRepeat in collaboration with the International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU) showed that when it comes to endurance women may have the upper hand. So this could have a similar effect when on long swims.
On average there is not to much comparison in the difference between genders when looking at non competitive swimmers. I consider myself to be a competent swimmer but all the females I know swim way faster than me (not something I like to admit).
The fastest swimmer is generally the swimmer that puts the most training in!
Can Environmental conditions affect your open water mile
Environmental aspects will play a huge part in any mile time when in the open water. Without tides and currents pulling you, the quickest time will always be in calm glassy water either in the ocean or a fresh water lake.
The slightest bit of chop from the wind or swell will drastically increase anyone’s swim time. The average swimmer will be looking at a mile swim in about 1 hour in choppy conditions. Although tougher conditions will inevitably make a mile swim harder it can make it a little more exciting as well as add to the challenge. Check out How to swim through waves for more top tips.
Always get to know the environment your swimming in before entering the water. Check out Swim safety tips for more advice!
Is swimming a mile in open water harder than the pool?
In the safe environment of a perfectly chlorinated pool, world record times for a mile are an astonishing 14:31 seconds for the men and 15:20 seconds for the women. Faster than some people can run!
It is no secret that swimming in a pool is far more easier than in open water, this is due to the generally calm water and over flow drains at the side of the pool that take out the chop.
However if swimming in salt water you may find that there is extra buoyancy which can help you float, preserving energy. Another good help with being in the open would be wearing a wetsuit. Again this creates buoyancy, enabling your body to float and glide across the surface of the water easier than swimming in a swim costume in the pool.
For me personally I feel that swimming in the pool can get tedious and boring compared to being out in the great outdoors. Although a swimming pool is a great place to train for an open water mile there is nothing quite like being outside!
Is swimming a mile in one hour good ?
Swimming a mile is impressive no matter what time you do it in! This article is based on averages not performance. A one mile swim in an hour is considered to be good especially when in open water. An hour long swim is also a perfect target time to match if you are trying to work on your speed.
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