Capital-K Open Water Swim

Spanning the broad valley of the Umgeni River in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands is Midmar Dam. The Capital-K Open Water Swim invites swimmers into this freshwater lake, offering courses over 500 metres, 1,000 metres, and 3,000 metres. Organized by the Capital-K Open Water Swim, the event shares its venue with the famous Midmar Mile, established as an annual open-water classic at the dam. On race morning, swimmers wade into the lake to line up in the water, holding position until the blast of the air horn signals the start. Out on the reservoir, the expanse opens up without lane lines, demanding steady sighting on the turning buoys to avoid drifting off course. Swimmers then funnel toward the bustling finish area on the shoreline, where photographers wait and timing chips are handed over in exchange for finisher medals.

Midmar Dam: Umgeni reservoir and water conditions

Midmar Dam is engineered as a combined concrete gravity and earth-fill barrier on the Umgeni River, built to secure municipal and industrial water supplies for the region. The dam is free of bilharzia, offering safe conditions for open-water swimmers who stay near the shores and clear of motorized traffic. Weather over the wide water surface can shift rapidly, often behaving quite differently from the surrounding countryside. To keep everyone safe across changing conditions, the dam is zoned into designated sectors that separate open-water swimmers from power boats, jet skis, kite boarders, and yachts.

Munro Bay to the Main Slipway: how the courses run

The Capital-K Open Water Swim at Midmar Dam starts at Munro Bay and finishes on the Main Slipway. The 3 km Event 1 is a single lap of the red course. The three 1 km events, Events 2, 3 and 4, share a one-lap green course, while the 500 m Event 5 follows a one-lap yellow course. Anyone, male or female, young or old, can swim the 1 km Events 2, 3 and 4 as long as they are not swimming competitively. The Capital-K Open Water Swim is limited to 1,500 entries in total, and each individual event is capped at a maximum of 330 swimmers. In the 3 km Event 1, swimmers who have not reached the 1,500 m halfway mark within 40 minutes are instructed to retire from the event.

Howick Falls and the Umgeni river gorges

Just downstream from the reservoir in the town of Howick, the Umgeni River plunges over 95-metre dolerite cliffs at Howick Falls. From the foot of the cascade, the river cuts a dramatic path through deep sandstone gorges preserved inside the Umgeni Valley Nature Reserve. To the Zulu people, the waterfall is known as KwaNogqaza, meaning 'The Place of the Tall One'. Indigenous folklore holds that a giant serpent-like creature called the Inkanyamba inhabits the deep pool below the cascade, and tradition permits only sangomas to approach the water to pray to the spirit and ancestral guardians. Exploring the valleys surrounding Howick reveals cataracts such as Cascade Falls, Shelter Falls, and Karkloof Falls.

Midmar Nature Reserve: cranes and open grassland

About two kilometres from the race course, the Midmar Nature Reserve wraps around the water with extensive expanses of rolling green grassland. These protected pastures provide grazing ground for various species of antelope. The reserve is recognized as an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area for its rich avian life. Its open shores and wetland fringes offer a protected sanctuary for threatened bird species, notably the Blue Crane and the Grey Crowned Crane.

Midmar shoreline: braais, chalets, and yachting

The lake shore is bordered by rolling green hills, lined with shaded picnic lawns and braai stands where swimmers can cook and gather after their race. For those staying over the weekend, the waterfront grounds host rustic chalets, log cabins, and lakeside camping sites right by the water. Midmar Dam also maintains an active boating scene, complete with a yacht club and dedicated storage berths.