IN the Powys town where extraordinary things are just part of everyday life, perhaps the fact that the World Bog Snorkelling Championships was won by the sport’s first-ever professional athlete last weekend doesn’t sound that odd.
Neil Rutter emerged from the Waun Rydd bog just outside Llanwrtyd Wells with his sixth title on Sunday, August 24.
Having won it three times in a row between 2017 and 2019, and twice more in 2022 and 2023, the art teacher admitted he hung up his fins in 2024, as he wondered what more bog snorkelling could give him.
However, car manufacturer Dacia had the answer, when they called him up and offered him a professional contract.
“I hung up the fins in 2023. I thought I’d completed bogging, so took 2024 off. I thought I needed something new and exciting to get me back there – and this was it.”
Having turned up in Powys with friends to have a go at the World Bog Snorkelling Championship in 2017, because of how mad it sounded, Neil actually won it. But he never thought it would lead to this.
“They contacted me, they wanted to involve themselves,” he added.
Dacia has now signed Neil, providing him with funding, a Dacia Duster, a wet suit and a first-of-its-kind professional contract.
Neil’s rise to professionalism is the perfect tribute to Gordon Green, the man behind Green Events, who came up with the madness of the bog snorkelling, as well as the Man vs Horse race, who died, aged 90, on Friday.
The championships, which began in 1986, are famous for attracting entries from all over the world.
Competitors from Norway, Germany, Serbia, America and Australia were among the 150 or so competitors two years ago, including Swede Maria Götesson who took an 18-hour train journey to get to Mid Wales.
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Sweden is one of the other country where bog snorkelling appears to be big, and Neil is planning a trip – term time depending – in the near future.
“The bogs out there are 60 yards instead of 120, but freezing cold; there’s talk of a contingent going over, so it would be fantastic to get involved over there,” said Neil.
“Otherwise, during the contract I’ll just be enjoying outdoorsy challenges and activities.”
Neil, an art teacher at Oldfield School near Bath, is looking forward to returning to school next week and telling his pupils he’s a professional athlete.
“Usually, after the first week back, some bright spark is going to be googling teachers, so this will be gold dust for them,” he said.
“It’s erupted previously and I’m sure I will get kids asking ‘Sir, are you a professional bog snorkeller?, as if it’s a professional option, and now I can tell them ‘Yes, I am’."
Neil was crowned champion of the Chapel World Bog Snorkelling Championship for the sixth time in the last nine years (six in seven, if you discount 2020-21, when Covid prevented the event being held) on Sunday, winning in a time of 1 minute 18.13 seconds.
Thomas Howells was second in 1m 22.34s, with Lewis Purssey (1m 26.50s) third. Martin Gottschling, from Germany (1m 48s), was first international male.
Last year’s women’s winner could not be beat, as Sian Clement took home the trophy in a time of 1 minute 32.34 seconds. Second was Sweden’s Götesson in 1m 41.28s (She also won the international female category), with former champion Kirsty Johnson third.
The Chapel Bogathlon was fiercely contested on the Saturday, involving a 60-yard swim (no snorkel required), 2-mile cycle and 1-mile run.
Matthew Osborne won the men’s race in 22 minutes 40 seconds, beating Tom Sherlock into second by a mere five seconds. Lydia Cole won the women’s race in 26m 17s, with Janet Barther second.
Moray Sloan won the male over 50s category, with Jayne Tanner the women’s over 50s champion.
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