Le Flow Des Gabarriers is a beautiful 33 km river swim for both solo and relay swimmers down the Charente River in southwestern France. Organized by Greg Lecrevisse, the race in its fourth year is one of the World’s Top 100 River Swims and part of the Marathon River Swim Series.
The event includes 4 different routes (33 km, 16 km, 3 km, 1 km) that all finish in Cognac, Place du Solençon:
- 33 km from Châteauneuf-sur-Charente to Cognac, crossing 12 villages in the Charente region
- 16 km l’Apprenti Gabarrier
- 1 km Petit Gabarrier, 500 meters downstream + 500 meters upstream
- 3 km Défi du Flow, 1500 meters downstream + 1500 meters upstream
Swimmers can wear wetsuits that strongly recommended; however, wetsuits are not permitted if the water temperature is above 24°C and swimmers can appeal to the organizers if they do not want to wear a wetsuit. Tow floats are recommended, but are neither required nor provided. Aids such as fins, snorkels, and pull buoys are not allowed.
Record setters include the following swimmers:
- Olivier Vahe set the 33 km bioprene course record in 6:50:09 in 2023.
- Baptiste Duboil set the 33 km neoprene course record in 6:25:10 in 2023
- Marion Joffle set the 33 km bioprene course record in 7:56:15 in 2022
- Paulime Lamine set the 33 km neoprene course record in 6:54:26 in 2022
- Clément Panigai set the 16 km neoprene course record in 3:25:29 in 2023
- Nicolas Dewaele set the 16 km bioprene course record in 4:03:30 in 2023
- Caroline Dewaele set the 16 km neoprene course record in 3:50:47 in 2022
For more information on the 4-race Le Flow Des Gabarriers held on June 14th, visit here.
The Marathon River Swim Series includes the following three races:
- 16 km and 33 km Le Flow Des Gabarriers in Cognac, France in June
- 30 km Ultramaratón de l’Ebre 30830 Swim Marathon in Catalonia, Spain in July
- 13 km Thames Marathon in Oxfordshire, UK in August
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