Powercor Lorne Pier to Pub

Charles Grimes sailed the schooner Cumberland along these rugged Victorian shores in 1802, charting the unknown reaches of the Bass Strait. Today, his legacy persists in the naming of the nearby river, where the high cliffs of Langdale Pike and Castle Rock frame the horizon for swimmers who gather at the water’s edge. This stretch of coast, defined by the meeting of the Cumberland River and the salt-heavy swells of the southern ocean, serves as the setting for one of the largest ocean swimming events globally.

The Course and History

As you stand at the start near the Lorne Pier, you are tracing the path of a landscape fundamentally altered by human effort. The Great Ocean Road that parallels your route was cut through the cliffside by 100 returned soldiers between 1920 and 1921, a feat of engineering that remains visible from the water line. The 1.2km swim follows the coastline, passing the point where the Erskine River flows into the sea. The Erskine brings a distinct shift in water composition, as it drains the Otway Ranges and introduces a high diversity of native fish species into the estuary mouth that you will traverse during the final stages of the race.

While the gold-rush era mining operations at Benwerrin have long since vanished, leaving no trace of the 1895 tramway infrastructure, the intensity of the event remains high. This annual gathering at the Lorne Surf Life Saving Club is the primary fundraiser for the local volunteers who manage the safety of the bay. For those who find the 1.2km distance to be an appetiser, the Powercor Lorne Mountain to Surf event takes place on the preceding day, offering a different intensity for the multi-disciplinary athlete. Entry quotas are managed through a rigorous registration process, often opening months in advance to accommodate the thousands of participants, with event t-shirts provided as standard in the race pack.