Wayne Riddin is a highly experienced swim coach in South Africa, with over 46 years of coaching experience. He is known for coaching at multiple Olympic Games as the Head Coach for the South African team and for his long-term leadership of the Seals Swimming Club in South Africa. Produced at least one Olympic representative for South Africa at every Olympic Games since Barcelona 1992. He is also a respected figure in open water swimming and was nominated Open Water Man of the year in 2009. Wayne has served as the race director for the aQuellé Midmar Mile, the world's largest open water event for 34years.  In addition, Wayne is a former double winner of the Elite Midmar Mile Men’s Race and won the Iron man edition 10 times having also completed 10 Comrades Marathons and a respectable 28 Duzi Canoe Marathons.  

Program Advice 

The programs Wayne has put together are for swimmers who don’t swim under a coach and are divided into levels based on length of weeks and each week progresses on the week before.

Thus, if you are doing 8 or 16 miles for charity you should do the 12-week program or start at the 6 week program, progress to 9 weeks and advance to the 12 week program.

For those doing their first Event, we recommend would starting with the beginners and move to the 6-week program, 9 week program before tackling the 12 week program

The longer the program the more advanced it is.

At time of writing there is 15 and half weeks to the aQuelle  Midmar Mile Charity  Days and Main aQuelle Midmar Mile Weekend.

Our recommendation is

For begginers – begginers 9 program depending on swimmers ability.

For Swimmers who are unfit but have done the event before/and or are swimmers from the past- start with the 6 week Intermediate program and then advance to the 9 week program  Intermediate Program which will take you almost to race weekend! You could then look at the advnaced programs taper into Midmar. 

For Regular Swimmers who are very advanced and /or doing 8 – 16 miles for Charity start with the Advanced week program and then slice the 9 week program in half but start from week 5 and move backwards so you are tapering. Click on these Links for all programs.

Wayne Riddins Midmar Mile Training Tips.

•        Expected number of swimming days is at least Four
  • Avoid missing training for more than 2 days in a row if possible
  • Suggest swimming Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday or Monday, Tuesday,Thursday, Friday etc.

• The danger is that swimmers vary considerably with speed, so determining paces for programmes by correspondence is sometimes difficult. Depending on the distance already being covered and the number of days training per week, everything can just be increased or decreased relative to the programs.
• -         See which of the three levels is achievable at the start, but remember, as you train, you may improve and jump to the next level
• The distance planning to compete is 1600m (ie one mile approximately) if you are looking at competing in the 2026 aQuelle Midmar Mile or Charity Days. However, these distances could just be adjusted slightly to accommodate any triathlete or master’s swimmer preparing for a major competition. Distance needed to be covered to swim a comfortable race: Between 1200m and 3000m.

Any Questions please email Wayne Direct at wayner@midmarmile.com