raceroster.com

Williamstown Open Water Swim

Name: Williamstown Open Water Swim
Start: 2026-03-01
End: 2026-03-01
Location: Williamstown, Victoria

location_on

Williamstown, Victoria, Australia

calendar_today 01 Mar, 2026

directions_run Running

pool Water sports

language Official Website

sell $42 – $120

About the Event

Williamstown Beach's historic waters become Melbourne's definitive open-water proving ground at the Williamstown Open Water Swim (WOW) on March 1, 2026, where 1.2km, 2.5km, and 5km courses offer diverse challenges while maintaining the event's legendary community spirit through the Williamstown Swimming and Life Saving Club's stewardship. This year's reconfigured 2.5km route introduces an anti-clockwise beach start guiding swimmers around the Rock Groyne, over the crystalline snorkeling pools, and onto the iconic Back Straight—a tactical adjustment prioritizing participant experience over rigid tradition. Though the 10km distance sits this edition out, the remaining events preserve WOW's inclusive ethos, welcoming wetsuit-clad newcomers and seasoned channel swimmers alike within the Great Victorian Swim Series framework.

With staggered morning starts separating gender-specific 1.2km mass launches from mixed rolling entries for longer distances, the event balances competitive intensity with accessible participation while early registrants earn commemorative shirts for commitments made by February 1st. More than individual achievement, this gathering continues its philanthropic legacy, channeling aquatic passion into sustained support for the not-for-profit organizations that transform recreational swimming into community investment.

Races Offered

1.2km & 2.5km WOW Challenge

Mar 01, 2026

straighten

Distance — 3.7km

terrain

Type — Running, Water sports

timer

08:00

sell

$120.00

1.2km WOW Challenge

Mar 01, 2026

straighten

Distance — 1km

terrain

Type — Running, Water sports

timer

08:00

sell

$70.00

2.5km WOW Challenge

Mar 01, 2026

straighten

Distance — 2km

terrain

Type — Running, Water sports

timer

08:00

sell

$80.00

5km WOW Challenge

Mar 01, 2026

straighten

Distance — 5km

terrain

Type — Running, Water sports

timer

08:00

sell

$90.00

T Shirt only

Mar 01, 2026

straighten

Distance — T Shirt only

terrain

Type — Running, Water sports

timer

08:00

sell

$42.00

Weather Overview

These values represent the 3-year monthly averages for March in Williamstown.

Temp (°C)

Feels Like (°C)

thermostat 15.5° / 22.5°

wb_sunny 14.1° / 20.6°

Wind (km/h)

Humidity (%)

air 14.6 /

water_drop 71.5%

Temp (°C)

Feels Like (°C)

Wind (km/h)

Humidity (%)

thermostat 15.5° / 22.5°

wb_sunny 14.1° / 20.6°

air 14.6 km/h

water_drop 71.5%

About Williamstown

Williamstown is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 11 km (6.8 mi) south-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Hobsons Bay local government area. Williamstown recorded a population of 14,407 at the 2021 census.