The Midmar Mile Facebook Integration Project, developed under the direction of Wayne Riddin is among the 20 nominees for the 2012 World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year.

The new World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year award is meant to identify products and services that (1) best support and assist open water swimmers achieve their goals, (2) are innovative, unique and beneficial to open water swimmers, race directors, coaches or administrators, and (3) have made the most positive impact on the world of open water swimming.

The nominations are meant to recognize some of the best and innovative commercial and free offerings that open water swimmers can enjoy.

Extreme swimmers, disabled swimmers, ice swimmers, marathon swimmers, professional swimmers, administrators, coaches, pilots, and swimmers from all walks of life have used, purchased and benefited from an increasingly number of products and services introduced over the few years.

The nomination of the Midmar Mile Facebook Integration reads,

“The Midmar Mile has created an online social sharing capability that allows finish times of swimmers and their friends at the Midmar Mile to be automatically and immediately posted on individual Facebook walls as soon as swimmers cross the finish line. No more waiting for the final results; no more waiting to learn if you beat – or were beaten – by your friends in the Midmar Mile. The world’s largest competitive open water race under the leadership of race director Wayne Riddin has continued to push the envelope in what a mass participation event can become and offer. Televised coverage, royalty participation, competitive elite competition, charity giving, aerial photography, and now, immediate online sharing of race results within seconds of crossing the finish line. For the Midmar Mile’s creative ability to create an even more connected community of open water swimming via Facebook, the Midmar Mile Facebook Integration is a worthy nominee for the 2012 WOWSA Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year.”

The 2012 World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year nominees are (listed in alphabetical order):

1. Big River Man by Martin Strel
2. Channel Swimmers’ Chat Group by Nick Adams
3. Cork Distance Week by Ned Denison
4. FINIS SwiMP3 X18 by John Mix
5. Foggle by Karen Smidt-Allard
6. In My Element by Theodore Yach
7. iSwimToo by Stephen Coulter
8. Marathon Swimmers Forum by Evan Morrison & Donal Buckley
9. Midmar Mile Facebook Integration by Wayne Riddin
10. Night Train Swimmers by Vito Bialla
11. Ocean Care Solutions by Ron Adley
12. Open Water Swimming Insurance by Travis England
13. Oceans Seven Project by Red Bull Media House
14. RC Helicam by Andrew Martens
15. SWIM Channel by Patrick Wrinkler 16. SwimIT by Rick Senn
17. SwimPhone by Club Assistant
18. SwimTrek by Simon Murie
19. TakeItLive by Chris Lundie
20. Toa o le Tai Program by Bruckner Chase
21. The Henley Swim by Tom Kean

Online voting will take place here at WOWSA until December 31st.

The Midmar Mile, directed by Wayne Riddin, is the world’s largest competitive open water swimming event. It is in its 40th year in 2013 and is an institution in South Africa with tens of thousands of participants ranging from disabled athletes and Olympic medalists to celebrities and royalty. The Midmar Mile has created an online social sharing capability that allows finish times of swimmers and their friends at the Midmar Mile to be automatically and immediately posted on individual Facebook walls as soon as swimmers cross the finish line.

Photo above shows American Ashley Twichell and Olympic gold medalist Penny Heyns of South Africa at the 2011 Midmar Mile.

Copyright © 2012 by Open Water Source