Most of the Team Luton Masters squad enter at least one swimming competition each year. They are a great social occasion with training colleagues poolside providing vocal support and encouragement. Individual achievements, however large or small, are acknowledged.
Competing at various regional, nation and international Swim Meets, the Club’s Masters have achieved many notable successes in recent years. As of November 2022, 61 Beds County Short Course and 68 Long Course Masters records were held by 12 of our current members. Record breaking has continued in 2023.
We do recognise that not everyone can be a winner but our Masters are able to monitor their own performances from month to month and year to year. In addition to the Club’s own Masters records, British Swimming holds an annual Masters Decathlon competition. This encourages swimmers to compete over a variety of strokes and distances throughout the year. Points are awarded on the age-adjusted times achieved. In addition to the individual competition, the decathlon points gained by the top four swimmers of each club are amalgamated for the team competition.
Forthcoming / usual meets (with dates where known):
Sth East (Long Course) Masters – 20th & 21st January 2024
Bracknell Masters – 2nd March 2024
Swim Wales (Long Course) – Swansea -2nd March 2024
Essex Masters (Basildon)- usually March
Newmarket Masters – usually April
British Masters (Long Course) – Swansea – 19 -21 April 2024
Erith Masters – Bexleyheath – usually May
Barnet Copthall Masters – Distance Meet – usually early July
Berks & Sth Bucks – Maidenhead – usually September
Barnet Copthall Masters Sprints Meet – usually early/mid September
Sth East Region (Short Course) Masters – Sat 30th September
West Midlands – Coventry – Sat 30th September
East Region Masters – Newmarket – Sun 1st October
Swim England Masters – Sheffield – 27th – 29th October
Etwall Masters – Alfreton – Sat 25th November
Barnet 1500m – Barnet Copthall- Sat 25th &/0r Sun 26th November
Swim Wales Open Masters – Newport -Sat 2nd & Sun 3rd December
East Midlands – Derbyshire – Sun 10th December
Some of our Masters & Seniors do enter other meets throughout the country, details of which can be found by selecting the Masters filter on the Swimming.org Calendar. However, the dates of individual meets are usually publicised on the host organisation’s website well in advance of appearing on Swimming.org. This is particularly pertinent for the most popular meets where accepted entries might close before the published closing date.
At most “Masters” meets you are seeded in heats to swim alongside competitors of your own speed, regardless of ages. For the purposes of the competition results, your times are then reported in 5 year age group bands, i.e. 25 – 29 years, 30 -34 years etc. These Masters meets also usually hold a Senior Age Group for those aged 18 – 24 years old. “Top level” swimmers, i.e. those still competing at national championship level are not expected to swim at such meets! A few of the “Masters” meets also have a 15/16-17 years age group category.
Some Meets tend to offer races over 25m, 50m & 100m each stroke plus 100m IM. Other meets may offer 200m events and go as far as including 800m & 1500m F/s and a 400m IM but with no 25m races. Even longer distances can be swum when entering Open Water competitions!