London Boroughs Peter Pan Cup 2026: the Serpentine's Christmas Day race
The Serpentine, Hyde Park, London · Organised by Serpentine Swimming Club
The race and its history Add to calendar
- Dates
- 25 Dec 2026
- Time
- From 09:00
- Format
- In person
- Tickets
- Free
- Organiser
- Serpentine Swimming Club
On Christmas morning, while most of London is still deciding whether to get dressed, the members of the Serpentine Swimming Club walk out onto the board at the Lido end of the lake in Hyde Park and race 100 yards for the Peter Pan Cup. The 2026 race is on Friday 25 December and starts at 9am — promptly, the club insists, and it means it.
Every Christmas since 1864
The club has swum its Christmas Day race every year since 1864. The only year it did not happen was 2020, when the Covid regulations stopped it. The club believes it is the oldest race in the world to have been swum without a break, and the winner's name still turns up in newspapers from the United States to Malaysia.
Why it is called the Peter Pan Cup
J.M. Barrie gave the first Peter Pan Cup in 1903, just as his play was reaching the London stage, and presented a cup to the winner every year until 1932. After him the honour passed to Albert Greenbury, a member from 1909 and the club's president from 1935 to 1955. The Greenbury family has kept it ever since, and his granddaughter still races with the club.
Who swims, and who watches
The race is a handicap, and it is for club members only. To be on the start list, a member needs a handicap and a good record in the club's Winter Series. For 2025 the club published its list of qualifiers on 18 December. Watching asks nothing of anyone: it is a public park, there are no tickets, and the right form is to arrive wrapped up rather well, a little before nine.
The morning itself
The swimmers are ready to march down to the board from 8.45am. In years gone by a piper has led them out, and the march is half the spectacle. The club keeps the water clear of other swimmers from 8.30am to 9.15am. Members who are not racing swim before or after.
Getting there on Christmas Day
This is the part that catches people out. TfL runs no Tube, bus or rail services on Christmas Day, so the journey to Hyde Park is on foot, by bicycle or by car. The Lido is on the south side of the Serpentine. From Knightsbridge or Kensington it is a short walk across the park.
The rest of the holiday
Christmas at Kew takes Christmas Day off but runs on either side of it, until 3 January. A week after the race, the London Parade crosses Westminster on New Year's Day.
Plan the journey before the race. With no public transport on Christmas Day, the walk across the park is the real undertaking, and those who arrive at nine have missed the march to the board, which is half the point. The race itself is over in a few minutes: the handicap sends the slowest swimmers off first and the fastest last, so the finish is close by design. Stand near the end of the course rather than the start, and keep a flask about one's person. The swimmers are the only ones who are meant to be cold.
The Serpentine, Hyde Park on the map
Peter Pan Cup 2026: the Serpentine's Christmas Day race: questions
When is the Peter Pan Cup 2026?
On Friday 25 December 2026. The race starts at 9am at the Serpentine in Hyde Park, London.
Can anyone swim in it?
No. The race is a handicap for members of the Serpentine Swimming Club who hold a handicap and have qualified through the club's Winter Series. Members who are not racing may swim before or after, but not between 8.30am and 9.15am.
Is it free to watch?
Yes. The race is in a public park and there are no tickets. Spectators watch from the bank by the Lido, on the south side of the lake.
How long is the race?
100 yards, swum as a handicap, so the slower swimmers start first and the fastest last.
Why is it called the Peter Pan Cup?
J.M. Barrie donated the first Peter Pan Cup in 1903 and presented one every year until 1932. The Greenbury family has continued the tradition since.
How do I get to Hyde Park on Christmas Day?
On foot, by bicycle or by car: TfL runs no Tube, bus or rail services on Christmas Day.
Source: Serpentine Swimming Club checked against the source
