Known as one of the most scenic and challenging open water swims in the world, the Swimjunkie Challenge was once again held in the beautiful and turquoise waters of Caramoan for its 9th year. Over 250 open-water swimmers from all over the world registered for the exciting swim, carrying its signature tagline: “Four Beaches, Three Coral Fields, One Amazing Swim” on October 12, 2025.

Since 2015, the Swimjunkie Challenge Inc. has partnered with the Provincial Government of Camarines Sur to host the open-water swimming competition. Swimmers are treated to a unique, island-to-island course that showcases Caramoan’s breathtaking natural beauty, connecting iconic spots of Gota Village Resort, Hunongan Cove, Lahus Island, and Matukad Island. This year, swimmers competed in four categories, specifically, 2km, 5km, 10km, and 15km open-water swims.

“It’s very hard to match the experience of swimming from island to island here in Caramoan! Maybe you’ll have some places where you can swim from one island and come back, but here, we get to swim from different islands— four beaches to be exact— and the view underneath is very special, because there are coral fields. What makes it even more special is that we have one of the largest numbers of racers this year!” said Betsy Medalla, the official coach of the Philippine National Open Water Swimming Team.

Among the open-water swimmers was 36-year-old Flora Bradley from Hong Kong, who joined the 10km category. “It's probably one of the best open-water swims I've ever done, really, and I've done quite a few. The atmosphere has been amazing, and everyone's been really friendly. You land on the beach, and there's people welcoming you, giving you coconuts, sweets, anything you want. So yeah, I love it. I think it's great.”

Bradley used to swim the 5km distance but opted to try 10km this year, sharing that the only thing that overwhelmed her was the sheer length of the race, which took her four and a half hours. Asked about the level of safety during the race, Bradley responded, “I found it really, really safe. There were lots of people there supporting you, making sure you were going in the right direction. Often, I go in the wrong direction, that sort of thing, so I was very grateful for that. It's been a fantastic experience! I love the Philippines, and this is probably one of the best open-water swims I've ever done. It's quite tough to get here, but once you're here, it's totally worth it.”

Another successful finisher was 16-year-old Iñigo Joaquin Bascuña from Manila, who finished the 5km distance and was the first to complete the race in the 10-19 men’s category. Sharing his secret, he pointed to the training and preparation he did prior to the race, especially the sets of long-distance workouts. 

“The race is tiring but determination allows me to finish it. This is my 3rd time swimming in this beach, but second time ko pa lang mag-start ng 5km. I think the most challenging part was from the start to the first checkpoint, which is maraming dilis, pumunta sa mukha ko and they started biting— it was so painful and dito rin sa braso ko. However, it was still a fun experience.”

Indeed, it was a great experience, especially since Bascuña was also the first finisher in the same category last year, and he looks forward to joining the 10km next year. “I want to swim in this beach again kahit nakakapagod, kahit maraming dilis, kahit maraming seaweed. It’s very fun; I recommend swimming this course to people trying to get into open-water swimming. 

To ensure a seamless and safe event, the Camarines Sur Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council activated its Incident Management Team with over 330 members comprising various rescue, medical, security, emergency evacuation, and communication groups from the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine Army, Kabalikat Bikol, various Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Offices, Bicol Medical Center, and volunteers from the Provincial Government.

The CamSur IMT was well-equipped with pontoon swimmers, quick response boats, evacuation vessels, ambulance boats, patrol boats, land ambulances, and hydration stations, among other resources, to keep everyone safe and secure all throughout the race.

“Definitely, one of the things that makes it stand out here is the amount of support and the number of people deployed to keep everyone safe. It’s unmatched in Caramoan! The professionalism, especially from the Incident Management Command and their whole team, is one of the best we’ve ever worked with. To Governor Lray Villafuerte and his team, thank you so much for supporting something like this for nine whole years, and the way we’ve grown, and the way we’ve made open-water swimming a thing. When we first started, it was like we were inviting a very small group of special people. But now, we’ve taken swimmers from a 7km to a 15k swim,” added Coach Medalla during the interview.

In the coming year, Swimjunkie Challenge Inc. plans to add a 20km distance swim and aims to become the longest open-water swim in Southeast Asia. This will still be held in Caramoan. This continuous growth helps Camarines Sur solidify its reputation as the Sports and Adventure Capital of the Philippines and a premier destination for adrenaline junkies all over the world.