The 800m swim completes one full lap of the Williamstown Beach course. Starting close to shore, swimmers head out towards Turn 1, before following the course across to Turn 2 and then up to Turn 3. From there, it’s a longer final leg back towards the beach and through the start/finish.

With just one lap and the course staying close to shore throughout, it’s a welcoming option for first-time open water swimmers or anyone looking for a shorter Cup Day dip.

The 1.6km swim takes in two laps of the 800m course, giving you plenty of time to settle into your stroke and find a comfortable rhythm.
From the start/finish near Williamstown Beach, swimmers make their way around Turns 1, 2 and 3 before returning towards shore to complete the first lap. Then it’s around again for a second circuit, finishing back at the beach.

It’s a great step up from the 800m, with enough distance to provide a satisfying challenge while keeping you close to shore throughout.

Three laps of the Williamstown Beach circuit make up the 2.4km swim.

Each lap takes swimmers from the beach around Turns 1, 2 and 3, before heading back towards the start/finish and beginning the next circuit. With the repeated loop, you’ll quickly get familiar with the course and can settle into a steady rhythm as the laps tick by.

There’s also a BYO feeding station available between laps, making this a handy opportunity to practise your mid-swim fuelling ahead of longer summer swims.

The longest standard swim of the morning covers four laps of the 800m circuit, for a total of 3.2km.

Starting and finishing at Williamstown Beach, swimmers repeatedly make their way around Turns 1, 2 and 3, with the course remaining relatively close to shore throughout. Four laps give you plenty of opportunity to settle into your pace, work on consistent navigation and build a strong rhythm through the turns.

A BYO feeding station is available between laps for drinks or gels, making this a solid early-season endurance swim and good preparation for longer events later in summer.

The Superfish covers the same four-lap, 3.2km course as the standard distance, but this one is for the faster fish.

Swimmers start from Williamstown Beach and complete four circuits around Turns 1, 2 and 3, returning towards the beach at the end of each lap before heading around again. The Superfish field starts first and is the championship wave, with the Melbourne Open Water Swimming Cup itself awarded to the winner.

It’s designed for swimmers capable of holding under 1:40 per 100m, so if you’ve got the speed and fancy putting yourself in the mix for the Cup, this is your wave.