Vansbrosimningen

The course

You swim 3,000 m in two stretches: 2,000 m with the current in Vanån, then 1,000 m against it in the main river Västerdalälven, finishing at the arena. The organiser says the race was first swum in 1950 under the six bridges of Vansbro. Vansbro Öppen Älv is the same distance and course on other days if the Saturday is full.

Starts for the recreational classes are in groups throughout the day, from 10:55 to 14:55 in the 2027 programme, with each swimmer registered through a start pen and timed individually. Elite men and women go off first on a rope start. Seeded groups exist for those under 52 and under 56 minutes.

Most of the difficulty is mental: swimming in a river beside piers, sighting without lane lines, and the last kilometre against the flow. Water level and flow can change the route and length, and in that case there is no refund.

How to enter

Entry is through the organiser's site (entry.vansbrosimningen.se); for 2027 it opened in autumn 2026. The fee rises in steps (1,345 kr to 30 November, 1,445 kr to 30 April, 1,545 kr to 9 July). The minimum age is 10, and a competitive licence from Open Water Licens is needed only for the elite and youth competitive start groups, plus a swim club membership.

The race is part of En Svensk Klassiker, together with Vasaloppet, Engelbrektsloppet, Lidingöloppet and Vätternrundan. Seeding for the competitive groups uses results from the last two years or from listed external races (such as Stockholm Swim Festival or Karl-Oskarsimmet).

How to train for it

Practise swimming in a river, not a pool

The race has no lane lines or wall to push off. Do open-water sessions where you sight every few strokes, and swim some of your distance against a current or wind.

Prepare for the upstream last kilometre

The final 1,000 m is against the flow, when you are already tired. Do sets that get harder in the second half and practise holding your stroke rate.

Test your wetsuit before the date

The organiser advises trying the suit well in advance; check the fit around the shoulders and neck over several swims.

Swim 3,000 m continuously before race week

Do at least one continuous 3 km swim, in a lake or sea, so the distance holds no surprises. Rest at a pier is allowed in the free-stroke classes.

Use a seeding race if you want a fast group

For the faster start groups the organiser accepts results from listed races such as the Stockholm Swim Festival, Runn Open Water and Karl-Oskarsimmet.

What you need

• A wetsuit tested in open water; recommended between 12 and 22 degrees, not recommended above 23.
• Vansbrosimningen's own swim cap (worn over your own if you have one), provided at pick-up.
• The timing chip on your wrist and your start proof, released in June.
• Warm dry clothes: your bag is transported from start to finish, and a warm tent and a hot shower wait at the end.
• Goggles; a safety buoy is allowed only in the 10K.

Getting there and staying

Vansbro is in western Dalarna and has no passenger trains. The organiser runs same-day coach trips from Stockholm and from Gothenburg to the event, with times updated for 2027, and recommends car-sharing; traffic is heavy on race days.

Accommodation in Vansbro and nearby can be booked through the organiser and Visit Dalarna, and sells out early for the event week. Clothes go by lorry from start to finish, and a mobile health centre with four doctors, eight pick-up points with nurses and ambulances stand ready.

History

Two Vansbro men, Einar Anselius and Mats Qvarfot, started the swim in 1950 to promote swimming; ten people swam and nine finished. It became a competition in 1956 and has grown to more than 12,000 participants a year (organiser's history page and 2026 summary).

Where to find out more

• Vansbrosimningen 3 km (opens in a new tab): The organiser's race page with prices and start groups.
• Competition rules (opens in a new tab): Wetsuit, cap and water temperature rules.
• Vansbro Vintersim (opens in a new tab): The winter swim in a pool sawn in the river ice, 13 February 2027.