Counting down to Moreton Bay Swim

Greater Brisbane’s only ocean swim will be back in the waters along on Redcliffe’s foreshore next month.  

Hundreds of entrants are expected to line-up on Suttons Beach for the annual Moreton Bay Swim on Sunday February 2.   

The event, now in its sixth year, has three distances – 4km, 2km and 1km, as well as a family friendly inflatable race.   

It makes the Moreton Bay Swim, which is organised by SSG Multisports, “enough to challenge the new and the experienced ocean swimmer”.   

The exact course was, at the time of writing, to be confirmed but Greg McMurray, SSG President, said: “Historically, its from Suttons Beach to Scotts Point and back.”

Event swim caps will be sold on the day to raise funds for the Rotary Club’s Global Water Safety and Drowning Prevention programs.   

The Moreton Bay Swim started in 2020 with just nine swimmers, followed by 60 in 2021and in 2022 around 400 lined-up.

Entries were scaled back to 120 in 2023 and it was just a club event last year, but with extra organising support the aim for 2025 is to hit 400 again.

It will be a far cry from the day in 2017 when Greg and Mal Wessener sat on Suttons Beach dreaming of becoming ocean swimmers.

Both wanted to do triathlons but were “scared of the ocean”. However, they took the plunge swimming on Fridays and were soon joined by friends.

Word spread and dozens more took part. Suttons Swim Group (SSG) was formed with Wednesday and Sunday dips added to the original Friday swims. 

SSG pictures - click through

“We really weren’t expecting it to take off,” Greg said, “the group steam rollered and a good portion were people getting out for the first time.”

SSG Multisports now has more than 130 members, with the oldest being 72 and youngest a 13-year-old Queensland champion.

Runs and cycle rides were started and in 2020 SSG Multisports became a triathlon club aligned with Triathlon Australia.

In 2023 it won the Queensland Triathlon Series Medium Sized Club Championship and followed up with second place last year.

To register for the Moreton Bay Swim or for further information visit www.ssgmultisports.com.au