Yes it is, aqua involves some form of getting wet… and several are already hinting that they will be not needing there wet suit.
IF you were going to loose your cash and knew you couldn’t make the swim time, Jesus I’m slow but that must be breast stroke slow … and can take the grief… go for it.
I don’t care if you do the bike faster than foggy and the pros your still not an Ironman
I’m not anti Bolton, I don’t think you mean me though!
Said it before, decent event and a tough challenge.
I can see why they might offer a non-swim event but wouldn’t class myself as an Ironman if I did it. Same when my swim got shortened at Louisville.
Yeah Lakesman think you can do no/half or full swim 
Do I qualify for this? I’d like to think so.
No
Mostly southern softies and posers.
Not you.
The place is an utter shit hole, the people are nice though.
The race is marmite
It’s poseur, you northern nancy.
Remember, you earned your green lid in Devon, not on some crappy excuse for a moor on the M62 corridor.
South rulez 
WHERE DO I SIGN UP? THIS IS MY CHANCE TO BE AN IRONMAN!
DO IT JIM. YOU GOT THIS.
Not just IMUK. I got the email and it applies to all Europe and SA races from what I read.
You still have to do it all to be eligible for any prizes or slots.
It’s the same as what 113events did last year. You could skip the swim, do a short 300m loop, or the full 1900m
It just seems bizarre that you would give people doing the same event the option of doing the swim or not.
It’s a bit like letting the weaker cyclists skip a lap of the bike or letting people take a short cut on the run.
That was a long long time ago, attitudes have changed.
Good and bad everywhere leader.
The toughest man I ever met was from London, he wasn’t a poser ( northern spelling )
I actually find the surprise of people quite surprising. I’m nervous about a 3.8k swim and not leaving myself in a big hole. And in the grand scheme of things, I’m a reasonable swimmer. I could get in and swim the distance by itself tomorrow.
When you have BTF cancelling eligibility for qualifying races for GB AG for Wales and Scottish athletes, because they’ve not been able to have 4 weeks swim time before a 750m swim, I think not forcing people into the water for what might be 2+ hours is fair enough. Especially when there’s no deferral option if you were pushed from last year.
Yep
Your there … leader
“ I wouldn’t tow the line if you paid me”
Or some other nasty southern snobbish statement !?
When the third wave comes and scuppers Wales this will be the only and hence best race of 2021!
Holy Chorley, Eccles and Pontefract cakes, it’s Toe 
For the record, Eccles are my favourite of that lot; found the Chorley ones a bit too much pastry/dry.
I do that on the boxing sites, drives people mad…!
Thank you for correcting my small spelling error, I will tri harder in future…?!
The tri is intended before you become insufferable !
To be fair, you just described Bolton as an utter shit-hole. How can you expect to draw us effete southern types to your race, with that kind of marketing strategy?
Ha ha ha 
A bike/run - not a Duathlon.
Mushy brain today
+1
Jesus wept, it’s an IMJ wet dream.
If it’s a safety issue then surely you should cut the swim or reduce the distance for everyone?
If it’s still an option then you’re bound to get people who are under-prepared for it giving it a go because they want to do the full race and they will get themselves into trouble.
But as I said in a separate post, this is exactly what 113events did last year. Did OSB do something similar with the Outlaw events they could run? Was there the same outrage at that?
It’s not a one size fits all situation is it. England have been able to swim for a couple of weeks. Wales and Scotland only from today. If someone is conceptually still aiming to come from Europe, some of those are still shut for swimming.