🏊♀️🏊♂️ London’s iconic Aquatics Centre is the place to be for the AP Race London International: a three day world-class swimming extravaganza taking place from Saturday 23 to Monday 25 May.
🎟️ Tickets are on sale here.
AP Race London International returns to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park from 23-25 May with a stellar line-up of international swimmers set to compete once again. AP Race London International tickets are now on sale, secure your tickets now to experience the action live!
History was made in 2023 when the London Aquatics Centre hosted an open International swimming competition for the first time since its construction in 2011. 650+ athletes competed at the inaugural AP Race London International which was a huge success and included a spectacular line-up of world and Olympic champions such as Duncan Scott, Katinka Hosszu and Chad Le Close (pictured in action below).
The event returned in 2024 with three-time Olympic gold medalist Adam Peaty and fellow Team GB standout and Olympic champion Anna Hopkin among the headlines acts. 2025 featured the likes of double Olympic champion Matt Richards and Germany’s Lukas Märtens, the reigning men’s 400m freestyle Olympic champion.
And now it’s official. The AP Race London International is back for a fourth year in 2026. Already one of the largest swimming competitions worldwide, and taking place from Saturday 23 to Monday 25 May, it’s going to be even bigger and better than before!
👀 Read on for an event preview, ‘ones to watch’ and how to purchase tickets 👇
AP RACE LONDON INTERNATIONAL – EVENT PREVIEW
The three-day event draws international and domestic athletes to race against each other – for a prize pot of £21,500 – at the most iconic aquatics centre in the world. From Olympic Champions all the way down to the innovative “Grassroots Finals”, the event is the only one if its kind in the UK. And for the first time ever in 2026 the competition will feature integrated Para-Events, as home nations fine-tune their teams for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
A host of swimming stars will race in the pool famously built for the 2012 Olympics. The competition has previously featured world and Olympic champions such as Adam Peaty, Anna Hopkin, Duncan Scott, Katinka Hosszu, Matt Richards and Lukas Märtens.
Another stellar line-up is anticipated for 2026. Stay tuned to AP Race Official here on Instagram for swimmer announcements and check out the trailer below for a flavour of what to expect!
It promises to be a memorable three days of action in the pool at the Aquatics Centre in London. Book your tickets now to ensure you don’t miss out 👇
AP RACE LONDON INTERNATIONAL – TICKETS, TIMINGS & TRAVEL
TICKETS
🎟️ Tickets for 2026 are available via the ‘Get Tickets’ link.
A range of ticketing options are available. These include heat tickets starting from just £2 per session all the way up to Premium Poolside Seats only metres away from the action.
TIMINGS
🏊♀️🏊♂️ Daily timings for the AP Race London International are as follows:-
Saturday 23 May
🕘 9.30am-1pm. Session 1, Heats.
🕘 5pm-8.30pm. Session 2, Junior & B Finals from 5pm. Super Finals from 7pm.
All finals included in one ticket.
Sunday 24 May
🕘 9.30am-1pm. Session 3, Heats.
🕘 5pm-8.30pm. Session 4, Junior & B Finals from 5pm. Super Finals from 7pm.
All finals included in one ticket.
Monday 25 May.
🕘 9.30am-12.45pm. Session 5, Heats.
🕘 4.30pm-8pm. Session 6, Junior & B Finals from 4.30pm. Super Finals from 6.30pm.
All finals included in one ticket.
TRAVEL
🚊🚗 Travel tips: Both Stratford and Stratford International are a 10-minute walk from the venue. Stratford is on the Central & Jubilee lines, Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and London Overground. Also National Rail services operated by Greater Anglia and C2C. Stratford International station is 5 minutes from St Pancras International Station using Southeastern High Speed 1 services. It’s also on the Docklands Light Railway. Hackney Wick station is a 20-minute walk. This is on the London Overground. Plan our journey at the Transport For London website. The closest car parks are situated at Stratford International Station and Westfield Shopping Centre Stratford.
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