Full Bean

Full Bean

This is the swim the event is named for: 3.4 km from the Mission Bay shoreline out across Auckland’s harbour to Bean Rock, round the lighthouse that stands in the shipping channel, and back to the same beach. It is open to swimmers aged 12 and over. Because of the tide and the shipping traffic, the organiser notes that the rock cannot safely be swum to alone, which is what makes a patrolled race day the way most people get to round it.

Swimmers start in speed groups set by pace per 100 m, from Speed 1 at 1:20–1:30 to Comp 2 at 2:10 and slower, and the cap colour marks the group. The cut-off works out at a little over three minutes per 100 m, so it suits anyone who can hold a steady open-water pace for well over an hour. Water in December is around 19–21 °C. Results are timed electronically and prizes go to the top three overall and in each age group.

This page covers the 2026 Full Bean. On Livebib, family who are not on the beach follow the swimmer’s position along the line to the lighthouse and back, with a finish estimate that updates as the swim goes. When the phone loses its satellite fix at water level, the position is carried forward along the course and marked as estimated instead of stopping on the map.